Vongola Goddess
by AWorldOfMyOwnCreation
Summary: "You want to play?" Xanxus felt a shiver ran up his spine at the knowing look in the girl's eyes. He grinned dangerously in reply. "Alright. I'll play. I'll give you a game you will never forget." XFem27. Smut. R&R.
1. Chapter 0

Prologue: The Meeting

**_Name:_** _Sawada Tsukiyomi_

**_Age:_** _14_

**_Birthday: _**_October 10_

**_Mother: _**_Sawada Nana_

**_Father: _**_Sawada Iemitsu_

**_Important Information: _**_Giotto Vongola (Sawada Ieyasu) a.k.a Vongola Primo's Direct Descendant_

**_Other Information:_**

_No Friends_

_No Athletic Abilities_

_No Good_

_No Social Grace_

_Poor Academic Grades_

_Coward_

_Shy_

_Clumsy_

_Easily Scared_

_Hopeless_

Scars began emerging from the man's face as he read the single-page document the silver-haired man gave him, "Trash... what the fuck is this?"

"Everything you need to know about Nono's chosen successor," said trash informed him, understanding why his boss looked ready to commit murder.

The paper on the scarred man's hand burned.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me. This, this trash is the future boss of Vongola?" he snorted and drank from the whiskey bottle in his hand. "Looks like the old man finally lost it. Get the jet ready, we have some pieces of trash to throw out."

The silver-haired man smirked in anticipation, "Roger that, Xanxus."

* * *

Xanxus watched his subordinates taunt the trash candidate's Guardians, red eyes scanning the lot who was supposed to be their competition; a black-haired teen with a shinai strapped on his back, a silver-haired teen, a white-haired teen with a bandage on his nose and wrappings wrapped around both his arms, a brat with a ridiculous Afro, a Chinese brat, and a blonde brat.

_Rain, Storm, Sun, Lightning…_

He saw the Sun Arcobaleno sitting on the tallest teen's shoulder, but not the bitch. Not finding what he was looking for, he made his way up front, pushing his subordinates aside and ignoring Squalo's indignant shout.

"Where is she?"

The one with silver hair glared at him, "So you're Xanxus, eh. Where our boss is? Well, that's none of your fucking business."

"Don't disrespect our boss, you fucking scum!" Levi howled, readying his parabolas to fry the rude bastard.

Squalo glared at him, "Voooiii! Calm the fuck down!"

"Maa, maa, Hayato, you calm down too. I'm sure he's just curious. Even you were curious to know who you're going to fight," the kid who possessed the other half of the Rain Ring chided, ignoring the glower his fellow Guardian sent him, he looked at the Varia Boss in the eyes and grinned.

Xanxus' eyes narrowed at the kid, sensing the dangerous aura surrounding the seemingly harmless teen. In fact, now that he's given them his attention, he noticed that all of them can still move, if they were just civilians like the reports said, they should be frozen in their spot, unable to move because of the sheer intensity of his presence.

"Scum..."

The "scum" turned to look at his boss before he could shoot him, "Voooiii! Don't look at me like this is my fault! The reports I had on them clearly stated that they're civilians, and when I first clashed with them earlier, they were as weak as newborn fawn!"

"Shishishi. Looks like you fucked up, Squalo."

"Hmm," Lussuria agreed, "Bel's right, Squ-chan. These guys are clearly not civilians."

Squalo gritted his teeth angrily, he opened his mouth to yell at them but was cut off by a feminine laughter.

"You're late," the Arcobaleno chastised, "a boss should never make her guest wait, Dame-Tsuki."

"Juudaime!"

"Sawada! You're extremely here!"

"Yo, Tsuki."

"Tsuki-nee/Tsuki-san/Dame-Tsuki!"

Stepping out of the shadow with a smirk on her face, Sawada Tsukiyomi made her way to where her Guardians were standing until she was directly in front of them, giving the rest of the Varia members a once over before giving her full attention to the scarred man staring at her, staring back at him without a hint of fear in her eyes, looking more amused than scared.

All members of the Varia (sans Xanxus) gaped at the other Sky in disbelief. When they heard that the other boss candidate was the daughter of the CEDEF's leader, they didn't expect much, not with her looks, not even with her strength, their expectations went further down the drain when they read her file. But seeing her in person, they saw that everything they thought they knew about her was a lie, because the boss candidate in front of them was the exact opposite of everything they believed in.

They couldn't help but gawk at the sight in front of them. The girl was a vision, she was slenderly built, although petite in height due to her young age, she was pleasantly gifted with perfect curves in all the right places, her hair was golden brown, curled in waves that cascades elegantly down her slim back, her eyes were big with thick eyelashes accenting its unique color, sunset-amber with specks of gold, her Japanese feature combined with the feature she inherited from her Italian lineage made her beauty look exotic.

"Look, Reborn, you had the same expression on your face the first time we met," Tsukiyomi quipped with a cheeky grin on her face, amusement shining in her eyes—still locked with the Varia Boss' red ones. "Let me guess, you got your information from CEDEF too? You people trust that guy's credibility way too much."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow at the mocking tone the girl used when mentioning her father.

"I can't believe you guys trusted that guy, the very same guy who last saw his daughter almost 7 years ago," Tsukiyomi smirked when she saw a flash of amusement in the Varia Boss' eyes. "You people had a better chance of getting the right information from a stalker than you did with him," she said in a matter of fact tone before turning her attention to the person lurking in the shadow, "how long are you planning on standing there? Iemitsu."

While the rest of the Varia turned their attention to where the CEDEF Boss was standing, Xanxus' attention remained on the girl, watching as her fists clenched and a look of intense hatred flared in her eyes.

"Tsuki…" Iemitsu started, only to flinch back when his daughter looked straight into his eyes with hatred in her sunset-amber orbs.

"Who invited you here?" Tsukiyomi asked in annoyance, ignoring the incredulous look the Varia was giving her, noting that their boss was the only one whose expression never changed when looking at her.

"Oi Dame-Tsuki," Reborn said, jumping from the tall teen's shoulder to his student's head, "we have something even more important to deal with."

Tsukiyomi sighed, "You're right. Gomen, Reborn."

"Hmph."

"Oi Iemitsu, just tell us why you're here before Juudaime changes her mind, or before one of us Guardians forget that despite how incompetent you are, you're still our boss' father," Gokudera huffed, toying with one of his dynamites.

"Gokudera-dono!"

Gokudera rolled his eyes at Basil's berating tone.

"Maa, maa, Iemitsu… -san, what brings you here?" Yamamoto asked, trying to sound as civil as possible to avoid any blood from being spilled, but even the Varia could hear the ire in his tone

Iemitsu narrowed his eyes at his daughter's Guardians, finding all of them disrespectful, even the eldest of the Guardians, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. He was about to reprimand them, but his daughter cuts him off before he could.

"Stop wasting our time, Iemitsu."

Xanxus was enjoying the show in front of him, he never got along with the Outside Advisor, finding him incredibly annoying and stupid, seeing his very presence being rebuffed by his own daughter, let's just say the brat was beginning to gain a bit of his respect. He wasn't the only one, his fellow Varia was starting to like the teen's moxie.

Iemitsu coughed, composing himself, he turned to the Varia and gave them a look, "I was starting to question the way you guys have been doing your stuff lately and why the Ninth approved of this. So I sent the Ninth a message with some questions. And his reply has just arrived," he informed while pulling out two identical scrolls from his pocket and showing it to everyone.

Tsukiyomi looked at Xanxus from the corner of her eyes, seeing the carefully blank look on his face—confirmed her suspicions.

"Sawada-dono, written here is the direct order of the Ninth," the blonde student of her father explained before handing her one of the scrolls.

Both Tsukiyomi and Xanxus opened the letter and stared indifferently at the Dying Will Flame that suddenly materialized on top of the paper.

Takeshi pointed at the Sky Flame, "Neh, what's that Flame doing there?" he asked.

"That's the Ninth's stamp of the Dying Will Flames," the most mysterious member of the Varia explained, "there's no mistaking it, it's a real order from the Ninth."

Tsukiyomi stared at the paper in silence, Iemitsu—noticing the blank look on his daughter's face—assumed that she couldn't understand what the letter was about since it was written in Italian, so he decided to help her out.

"Before you make a fool of yourself and piss her off, Iemitsu. Tsuki can read _and_ speak Italian," Reborn informed the CEDEF leader before said leader could even attempt anything.

There was a long pause where everyone stood still after the Arcobaleno's words, it was only broken when the Varia Boss threw his head back and barked out a laugh, his subordinates soon following after. Tsuki's Guardians were having a hard time not joining them, the only one from her side who was laughing out loud was Lambo.

"Gyahahahahaha!"

"Lambo, no laugh, bad," I-pin chided while trying to stop the cow-child from laughing.

"Shishishishishi. This is just sad, CEDEF Boss."

Tsukiyomi shook her head at her tutor's sadistic personality. Feeling someone's eyes staring intently at her, she turned to its direction and locked eyes with the Varia Boss, who was still sporting an amused grin on his scarred face. The younger fought down a shiver at the intensity of the way the older was looking at her.

Iemitsu coughed and continued on like nothing happened, "Since both parties are aware of the Ninth's decision to name Xanxus his heir, I would like to inform everyone that I refuse to give Xanxus the Rings and instead, I choose to name my daughter the next boss of the Family. And for that reason, we will comply with the Ninth's request. We will begin the decisive battle to decide who will be the official successor of the Family through a method we can all agree on. A one-on-one battle between those who wield the same type of Ring!"

There was a staredown between Tsuki's Guardians and the Varia, only their respective boss was staring at each other with a blank expression. A smirk slowly made its way to Tsuki's face, causing Xanxus to raise an eyebrow at the glint he saw in her eyes.

"Wow, I'm impressed."

Everyone's attention turned to the girl who spoke with such palpable scorn in her tone that even someone who's deaf could hear it. Reborn looked down to hide the smirk on his face, knowing his student well enough to know when her limits have snapped.

"I think this is the first time in my life where you actually chose me. I didn't know you were capable of doing that. Congratulations, Iemitsu, for the first time since you donated your sperm to my mother, you actually did something worthwhile. Someone give this man a noble prize," Tsuki gave Iemitsu a mocking clap, inwardly grinning when she saw the way he was clenching his fists, she gave her ''father'' a challenging look. _Come on, Iemitsu. Give me a reason to attack you._

Xanxus watched his competition challenge her own father, grudgingly accepting that his respect for the girl was rising—as well as his interest. It didn't help that the girl was dangerously attractive and he was trapped in ice for 8 years, a certain part of his anatomy was starting to make itself known.

Sensing another presence, Tsuki narrowed her eyes and called out, "Who are you?"

Two figures emerged from the trees, landing near where Xanxus and Iemitsu were standing. Two identical women with pink hair and only their clothes separating them from each other revealed themselves to the group, "Sorry for the wait."

Tsuki gave them an unimpressed look. She listened with a blank expression as the two women explained who they were—an organization called Cervello who serve under the Ninth—they were apparently there to judge the Ring Battle. She tuned them out and focused on ignoring the urge to look at the Varia Boss. Her attention snapped back to what the Cervello was saying when she heard how they were supposed to prove their worth and _where_ the battle was supposed to be.

"… the one who is truly worthy to wield the Ring will prove it with their lives. The location is Namimori Chuu, further details will be given later."

"What?" Tsuki didn't bother hiding the alarm in her tone, "Namimori Chuu? Are you people trying to get me killed?"

The members of the Varia stared at the girl in disbelief, the girl who didn't even buckle in the presence of Xanxus, the girl who didn't even bat an eyelash when challenging her father—looked so anxious, they couldn't believe it was the same girl.

The Cervello wearing a dress stared at her, "Do you have a problem with the location?"

"Of course I have a fucking problem with the location!" Tsuki glared at them like they should know what the problem was.

"Juudaime, don't worry, I'll make sure that bastard agree to this," Hayato assured, trying to bring comfort to his anxious boss.

"Maa, Tsuki, I'm sure he'll agree… at least I think he would…" Takeshi trailed off with a strained smile on his face.

"Sawada, don't worry! I will extremely convince him to agree!" Ryohei made a fist, the fire in his eyes burning bright with the prospect of challenging one of his fellow Guardians to a fight.

Tsuki pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed tiredly, "Kyoya, you can fight Mukuro and Takeshi whenever you want for an entire month if you let this one slide."

Takeshi's eyes widened in shock, "What?" He turned and looked at his best friend/boss, his eyes filled with betrayal.

"Hn."

The Varia turned to the direction where they sensed a killer intent—that almost matched their own—was emitting. A teen with black hair and narrow gray eyes gave them a blank look, not even bothering to acknowledge their presence and instead, gave his full attention to the Omnivore who offered him an interesting bargain.

"I accept, Omnivore."

"Kufufufufufu. Well, that's hardly fair, Hime-sama. You just decided to feed Takeshi and I to the devil without even asking if we're ready to die."

Another presence made itself known, a slender teen with blue-pineapple shaped hair and mismatched eyes materialized besides Takeshi, smiling amusedly at the startled Varia.

"Hmph. Looks like all combatants are here," Reborn said, looking at both sides with an anticipatory smirk.

"Excuse me, but regarding your problem with the location of the—"

Tsuki cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Doesn't matter anymore."

Both Cervello nodded, "Well, if there is no more problem, we shall await both party at 11 p.m. tomorrow night at Namimori Chuu. Goodbye."

"Chottomatte… I just have one important question."

Everyone turned to look at the girl, she was staring at the ground so they couldn't see her face, but all of them felt the gravity of the seriousness in her tone.

"What is it?" one of the Cervello asked.

Tsuki looked up and stared straight into the Varia Boss' eyes, "You want to play?"

Xanxus felt a shiver ran up his spine at the knowing look in the girl's eyes. _Impossible... this girl… she couldn't possibly..._. Narrowing his eyes, he saw the brief flash of mischief in her eyes that he doubted anyone but him saw. _This… this is going to be fucking interesting. Let's see how far you can drag this on, Vasílissa. _He grinned dangerously in reply.

Tsuki grinned back just as dangerously. "Alright. I'll play. I'll give you a game you will never forget."

* * *

_Vasílissa_ – Queen in Greek


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Sun!

**_4 years ago_**

_Sasagawa Ryohei was a boxer living his life to the fullest, always putting his extreme effort in everything he does, whether it was in his training or his everyday life. The most important person in his life is his little sister, Sasagawa Kyoko, ensuring her protection is his primary goal in life._

_He was on his way home after jogging five times around Namimori when he suddenly found himself in an old amusement park called Kokuyo Land located in Namimori's neighboring town, Kokuyo. The __preteen__ looked around in confusion, wondering how he got there, while he was trying to decide which direction to run to, he heard the sound of fighting from the abandoned building. Curious, the 11-year-old followed the sound, completely disregarding the possible danger his curiosity could land him into. Upon entering, the __preteen__ felt a shiver ran down his spine, his instinct telling him that he was being watched._

"_Who's there!? Stop extremely hiding and face me like a man!"_

"_Oya, oya, Hime-sama... looks like a rat got lost. Kufufufufufu. Now, whatever shall we do?"_

_Ryohei looked around, trying to locate where the voice was coming from. He saw a figure emerging from the corner of the room, his eyes widening in shock when he came face to face with a little girl who looks like she's about the same age as his sister._

"_Oi! This isn't a place for a little girl like you. We should extremely get you out of here!" Ryohei exclaimed, he was about to make his way towards her, but he suddenly found himself unable to move, looking down, he stared wide eyed at the vines wrapped around his legs, "What the—!"_

"_Maa, maa, Mukuro, let senpai go. I'm sure he doesn't mean Tsuki any harm."_

_A black-haired kid walked towards the girl's side, he looks the same age as the girl, but he was too tall so Ryohei wasn't entirely sure._

"_Kufufufufufu."_

_A tall kid with blue-pineapple styled hair and two different colored eyes appeared on the other side of the girl, his left eye was blue while his right eye was red with the kanji for six in the middle._

_Blinking in surprise, he pointed at the pineapple-head in excitement, "You're an extreme magician!"_

_Mukuro's eye twitched at the kid's stupidity, "I am not, I repeat _not_ a freaking magician, call my illusions magic again, I will give you nightmares for the rest of your miserable life."_

_"Maa, maa..."_

_"Mukuro…"_

_Mukuro pouted but complied with the princess' silent request and released the kid._

_"Gomen. Mukuro tended to act first and talk later, are you ok?" the only girl in the building asked, looking at him with a worried expression on her face._

_"I'm extremely fine, but extremely confuse."_

_The girl nodded in understanding, "You're probably wondering what we're doing in an abandoned building..." she trailed off when she saw the puzzled look the other was giving her._

_"Iie. I'm extremely wondering how that kid did his magic trick," the white haired boy clarified._

_A trident appeared on the hand of the irritated boy. "Prepare to die."_

_Ryohei's eyes narrowed. Sensing the danger he was in, he raised his fists and prepared for the pineapple-head's attack._

_Takeshi turned to Tsuki, wondering why she wasn't trying to stop the two older kids from fighting, blinking in surprise when he saw the interested look on her face. Shrugging his shoulder, he followed his friend's lead and watched._

_Ryohei jumped back before the vines emerging from the ground could wrap itself around his legs, ducking down to avoid the trident aimed at his head, he sent a punch to the other boy's stomach, causing him to stumble. Ryohei didn't waste any time, before Mukuro could get his balance back, he punched the boy in the jaw._

_Mukuro rubbed his jaw and gave the white-haired __preteen__ a glare as the number in his right eye changed into the kanji for four with purple Flames surrounding it. Ryohei's eyes widened in shock and disbelief when he saw the Flames surrounding the other kid's eye._

_Before either of them could attack, a voice interrupted them._

_"What do you think you herbivores are doing?"_

_Ryohei—recognizing the voice—turned to its direction. "Hibari!"_

_Gray eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here, Herbivore?"_

_"I got lost to the extreme!"_

_Tsuki, Takeshi, and Mukuro sweat dropped._

_"You sound awfully proud for someone who managed to get himself lost."_

_"Forget about that, Hibari. What are you extremely doing here?" Ryohei asked, his head tilted to the side, wondering what the prefect was doing outside of Namimori._

_"Kyoya, you know him?"_

_Ryohei felt his jaw drop when the girl addressed the prefect by his first name, everyone knew who Hibari Kyoya was, how brutal and strict he is when it comes to protecting the peace in Namimori. The guy also loathed crowding, even though he and Hibari attended the same school, he has never seen the prefect interact with anyone other than the Disciplinary Committee._

_"Hn. He's a student of Nami Chuu," was the simple reply of the prefect._

_"Ah." Tsuki turned to the still shock __preteen__ and gave him a sweet smile, "Domo. Watashi wa Sawada Tsukuyomi."_

"_Haha. Yamamoto Takeshi, hajimemashite."_

"_Oya, so we're doing an introduction? Alright, watashinonamaeha, Rokudo Mukuro."_

_"Hn."_

_Ryohei grinned brightly at them and introduced himself, "Watashi wa Sasagawa Ryohei."_

_It didn't take long for Ryohei to join Tsuki's group, after they explained that they were using the old building for training, the boxer immediately declared that he would join them. Takeshi and Tsuki were fine with it, Mukuro simply went along with it even though he really didn't want to deal with the loud idiot far more than he already have, Kyoya was against the idea, not wanting any more people to join his pack, but one pout from Tsuki was enough to change his mind. He figured since Tsuki seemed to find his strength strong enough to join their training sessions, he could get a decent fight out of him._

_After Ryohei found out that Takeshi and Tsuki were in the same class as his little sister, the __preteen__ told the two not to tell his sister about their training sessions because he didn't want to worry her, which the two agreed to._

_In the months that passed, Ryohei became a permanent member of the group, and they also started opening up to him, telling him things that he didn't even think was possible. Tsuki told him about her connection to the Mafia and the possibility of her becoming the boss of the most powerful Family in the world, she told him about Vongola and everything she learned about it, Takeshi told him how he found out about his father's former occupation as a hitman, Mukuro shared with him his past and introduced Ken and Chikusa to him, Kyoya upgraded his name from That Loud Herbivore to simply Herbivore._

_The most mind blowing thing he found out from them was the existence of the Dying Will Flames, it took a while for him to activate his Flames, almost getting jealous whenever he sees his friends training with their Flames, and when he finally did, he was more than overjoyed. He kept staring at the Yellow Flames—which Tsuki informed him was called Sun Flames—with fascination, feeling like he finally found something that he didn't even know he needed._

* * *

Tsuki woke up before the sun did, finding herself unable to go back to sleep, she decided to go to the mountains and fly around for a bit. Carefully making her way to her closet, she changed into her usual training clothes; a sports bra under an orange jacket, black leggings, and a pair of black trainers.

She grabbed her black fingerless gloves from her bedside table before heading for the window, "Reborn, I'm heading out. I'll be back before breakfast."

"Don't do anything stupid, Dame-Tsuki."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow and turned to the hitman, "What's that supposed to mean?"

The hitman didn't answer her and instead, he went back to sleep, knowing that his student was more than capable of protecting herself.

Tsuki huffed, "Rude."

The teen opened her window and jumped down, landing on her feet, she closed her eyes and called for her Sky Flames. Her hands started to glow—a bright orange glow, her black fingerless gloves morphing into a pair of black, metal-clad gloves as the glow turned brighter, Sky Flames burned on her forehead, and when she opened her eyes, her sunset-amber eyes became even more prominent with the light glow of her Sky Flames.

She propelled herself up and flew into the night sky, letting the wind hit her face and watching as the houses became smaller. When she reached the mountains, she lowered herself to where she and Reborn usually train, a wide clearing near the edge of the tallest mountain, closing her eyes, she let her Flames fade.

"Do I even want to know why you followed me here?"

"I don't have to fucking tell you anything, trash."

Raising an eyebrow, she turned around and faced the Varia Boss, "You and your guys are pretty fond of the word fuck, huh?"

Xanxus smirked at the girl's bluntness. When he saw her fly by the hotel he and his men were staying at while he was out in the balcony drinking, he decided to follow her and see just how wrong the report about her was.

Tsuki found herself staring at the man, now that it was only just the two of them, she realized how handsome the older man was, not that she didn't notice it when she first met him, but since the situation was dire back then, she wasn't able to appreciate just how handsome he is.

The smirk on the Varia Boss' face widened when he noticed the younger checking him out, when her eyes met his, the girl simply gave him an innocent smile, not at all bothered that she was caught staring.

"Like what you see?"

Tsuki laughed at the man's ego, shaking her head, she gave him an amused look, "Who knows."

He couldn't help but be impressed with the girl's carefree attitude, considering who she was talking to, "You're not with any of the scums you call Guardians, are you that confident that you could win on your own against my men if they decided to start the battle early?"

She cocked her head to the side and stared innocently at him, "Hmm, who knows."

Red eyes narrowed dangerously, thinking that the girl was mocking him, Xanxus pulled out one of his guns and within seconds, he was towering over her, his gun pressed against her forehead. "You have a death wish?"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to acknowledge the gun pointed at her, or the fact that the guy who wanted her dead was standing so close to her, "Do you really want to kill me now?"

The younger of the two didn't even flinch when he started feeding his Flames to his gun, "Why the fuck not? Killing you now would make things less annoying."

Tsuki locked her gaze with his, "That's true…" raising a hand, she grabbed the barrel of the gun, its heat not affecting her, she slowly nudged the gun aside and stepped closer to him, "but…" with a smirk on her face, Tsuki pulled the man down by his tie until she was staring straight into his red eyes, eyes that was blazing with lust, she didn't doubt that the very same thing was showing in her own sunset-amber eyes, "I thought you wanted to play?" she whispered, lips hovering over his.

Xanxus growled deep in his throat when he saw the lust and the teasing glint in her eyes. "Don't start something you can't finish, Vasílissa," he threatened.

Her eyes widened slightly at the nickname, "Whoever said I can't finish this? I thought by now you'd know not to underestimate me, Xanxus."

Xanxus fought down a shiver at the sensual way the girl uttered his name. _Fucking brat._

From the corner of her eyes, Tsuki noticed the sun was about to rise. _Reborn's going to kill me if I'm late_.

Pulling away from the man, Tsuki let his tie drop and walked backwards until she was standing at the edge of the cliff, "Neh, you look like someone who wouldn't bother watching other people's fight, but…" she left her sentence hanging, giving the man one final look, she flipped backward and let herself fall, igniting her Flames before she could hit the ground and soaring into the sky.

Xanxus scoffed and watched in amusement as the girl disappeared. "Dramatic brat."

* * *

Tsuki smiled when a long arm wrapped itself around her shoulder while she was walking on her way to school.

"Yo."

"Ohayo, Takeshi."

Takeshi smiled back. "Are you excited for tonight?"

Tsuki nodded in agreement. Leaning her head on his chest, she wrapped an arm around his waist and basked in the warmth of her Rain. Out of all her Guardians, Takeshi was her favorite person to relax with. Whenever she feels like she was about to be overwhelmed with all her responsibilities—Mafia related or not—she always sought the teen's presence, his Flames' tranquility attribute helped keep her relax and unwind, not to mention, the teen himself was the epitome of warmth and serenity. Even Kyoya was willing to let the teen stay over at his place and sleep in his room every time the taller teen felt like bonding with him.

"You worried?"

"Not really."

Takeshi pinched the girl's cheek, making her pout.

"Ok, maybe a bit, but not with you guys. I'm worried about Lambo, his opponent looked like a worshiper of Xanxus…"

Takeshi hummed in understanding, "Well, you already made up your mind about that. You just have to convince Reborn to agree to it."

Tsuki sighed, "Aa, convincing him should be easy enough. It's Iemitsu I'm more worried about, the man's an idiot, he doesn't know how to listen. I'm sure he's going to find a way to fuck up my plan."

"Hahahaha. Maa, Tsuki, I'm sure we can handle him, try not to think too hard on your own, alright? We're here for you, and you're not alone in this."

Tsuki eyes softened at her Rain's words, "I know."

"Che. For the first time, you actually said something right, Yakyu-baka."

Hayato said, walking towards the two teens, not even reacting when he saw their arms wrapped around each other. Once upon a time, he would have blown up if he saw the same sight, but after all the time he spent with them, he realized that every single one of them was affectionate in their own way. His Sky and Yakyu-baka with their hugging, Shibafu-atama with his never ending insistent of training with them, Pineapple-head with his habit of constantly touching them, even the Teme with his habit of using whoever he finds first as a lap pillow, refusing his demands will end up with you being bitten to death and still, with his head on your lap. Of course all this affections were platonic, even Mukuro's indecent touching (of course not including his Sky, he would never do that to her, even as a joke) was strictly platonic, he just wanted to annoy them.

"Leave everything to us, Juudaime. We'll make sure we win this."

Takeshi blinked, noticing the box the other was carrying, "Hm? What's this, Hayato? Paper airplanes?" he asked while opening the lid.

"Oi! Don't open it!" Hayato protested, glaring at him.

"What are you going to do with those?"

Hayato did a 180 and smiled brightly at his Juudaime, "I'm going to use it for training. I still haven't mastered my technique yet, so I'm heading to the mountains to train."

"Try not to skip class too much, or else Kyoya will bite you to death," Tsuki warned.

"Tsk. I'd like to see him try."

"Oh, where is he anyway?" Takeshi asked, turning to his Sky, "I want to try some of my new techniques on him."

Tsuki thought about it, "I think he's still training with Dino-nii. Try the school's rooftop, they should be there."

Meanwhile at Nami Chuu's rooftop, two people with blood all over their clothes stood facing each other.

Tsuki and Takeshi arrived at school just before the bell rang, waving as they passed the second-in-command of the Disciplinary Committee filling in for the president. After Takeshi informed his Sky that he and Hayato would be picking her up later, he headed straight for the roof to challenge the wayward Cloud.

"Ah, Tsuki-chan, ohayo."

Tsuki turned and smiled at the girl, "Ohayo, Kyoko."

"Ne, do you know what Onii-san is up to? Last night when he got home, he told me that he and Colonnello-kun were going somewhere and left before I could say anything, he didn't even tell me where they were going."

Tsuki tried hard not to look away from Kyoko's worried gaze, not letting her guilt show on her face, she gave the girl a reassuring smile, "Maa, I'm sure whatever he's up to, he's going to be careful. So don't worry about him, you know how he is."

Kyoko stared at her for a moment before nodding her head in agreement and smiling at the girl, "Arigato, Tsuki-chan."

* * *

"Do we really have to bring Lambo with us? I know he's a Guardian and all, but…"

"Dame-Tsuki, you've been asking that question since you got home from school, my answer won't change. So quit it."

The hyperactive cow-child bounced around in her room, "Lambo-san will go. Lambo-san will go."

Tsuki sighed in defeat, picking up the child, she nodded at Reborn.

"Tsu-chan, Take-kun and Haya-kun are here."

"I'll be there in a sec."

Putting on her gloves, Tsuki wondered if the Varia Boss will show up, too distracted by her thoughts, she didn't notice Reborn staring at her inquisitively.

Squalo was having a hard time not openly gaping at his boss, but he couldn't stop himself from sending glances at him from the corner of his eyes. _Voi, the fuck is boss doing here?_

He wasn't the only one, the rest of the Varia were also discreetly sending glances at the scarred man sitting nonchalantly on his red throne, his eyes closed and arms folded on his chest like it was the most normal thing in the world for him to be there and watch his subordinate's fight.

"Neh, Squ-chan, not that I'm not flattered that the boss came here to watch me fight, but… I'm a bit..."

Squalo nodded his head in agreement, "Aa. You're not the only one."

"The brats are here," the illusionist of the group said, sensing the Mist user of the other group.

Xanxus' eyes opened and looked straight in the direction of the girl who had the audacity to tease him earlier, he fought down the urge to growl out loud when he saw what she was wearing. _Fuck_.

"Remind me again, why do we have to wear our uniform?" Takeshi asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Che. Ask that Teme over there," Hayato grumbled unhappily.

"Hn. We're in Nami Chuu. Proper attire is required," the Cloud simply stated.

"Kufufufufu. One of Skylark-kun's conditions for using his school as a battlefield. That, and our Sky here signing mine and Takeshi's death warrant."

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "No one's going to die."

"I'm not so sure about that."

Tsuki pouted and turned to her Cloud, "You can't kill them. Do you know how hard it is to find a good illusionist and a swordsman?"

Takeshi and Mukuro sweat dropped. _That's her concern…._

"Hmm, Mukuro doesn't go to our school, so why is he extremely wearing our uniform?" Ryohei asked, his head tilted to the side with a look of wonder on his face.

Mukuro turned to him with an offended look, "Are you trying to leave me out?"

Xanxus couldn't help but stare at the girl's legs and imagine how good it would look wrapped around his waist, the way her black blazer was hugging her curves wasn't helping his libido, hunger briefly flashed in his eyes before going back to its usual indifference. Smirking, he raised an amused eyebrow at the girl when their eyes met, his smirk growing wider when she bit her lip and looked away, judging with how flushed her cheeks was, he didn't doubt that she knew what he was thinking about.

No one noticed the brief interaction between the two bosses except for one person. Reborn did not miss the way Xanxus was looking at his student, nor the way his student didn't even look bothered by it, like it wasn't the first time she saw the other boss looking at her like that. _What have you gotten yourself into? Dame-Tsuki._

"Now that everyone is here, we will commence with the battle."

The teens looked up and saw the Cervello standing near the Varia.

"Upon a strict conference, the battle for tonight's Ring Conflict has been decided. The first match is… the battle between the Guardians of the Sun."

Tsuki blinked, "So Onii-san's first…"

"Pink-haired Herbivores…"

The Cervello turned to the direction of the teen, "Hm?"

Gray eyes narrowed dangerously, "What makes you think I'd simply agree with the decisions made by people who are clearly in favor of the Monkey King's crowd?"

Levi bristled at the teen's insult, "How dare you insult our boss!" he bellowed, pulling one of his parabolas and getting ready to attack the disrespectful teen.

Hibari smirked, tonfas appearing in his hands in a swift manner.

"Voooi! Levi! Calm the fuck down!"

"Oi Hibari! Don't extremely get in the way of my fight! I've been extremely looking forward to this!"

Kyoya gave him a blank look before looking at his Sky, "Small Animal…"

Everyone's attention turned to the girl, who surprisingly enough, was watching everything with amusement in her eyes.

Tsuki ignored everyone else and locked her gaze with the Cloud.

Xanxus' felt an intense wave of annoyance watching the brat and her even more of a brat Guardian having a silent conversation, his fingers itching to pull out his guns and shoot the black-haired scum.

Kyoya inwardly rolled his eyes, "Do as you wish," he muttered, ignoring the amused look his fellow Guardians were giving him.

Tsuki grinned, "Don't I always? Besides… does it even matter?"

"Hm? What do you mean, Tsuki?" Takeshi asked.

"Even if Cervello favors the Varia, does it matter? In the end, the only thing that would matter is…" looking at the Varia Boss in the eyes, Tsuki smirked, "whoever wins."

Xanxus smirked back, mirth flashing in his eyes, "Hn."

Squalo's eyes narrowed. _Voi, what the fuck is going on between them?_

The Varia and Cervello jumped down, landing in front of Tsuki and her Guardians.

"Thank you for gathering. We shall now begin the battle for the Rings. Please look over there."

The two sides looked to where the Cervello was pointing and saw a small square stage that looks exactly like a boxing ring, only this ring was surrounded by a cage-like metal.

"What the hell is that?" Hayato asked.

"It's a special arena that we've prepared for the match between the Guardians of the Sun," one of the Cervello explained.

The other one continued, "We considered the traits of the Sun Guardian in preparing the arena, although the different matches will be located in different places."

"I assume all damages will be properly paid for," Hibari said in a tone that suggested that it better be the case, or someone was going to be bitten to death.

The Cervello nodded, "Hai."

"Good."

Tsuki narrowed her eyes at the ring, staring particularly hard on what's hanging from the cage, "_Destroying the misfortune that attacks the Famiglia with their own body—they become the Sun that brightly shines upon an area._"

Her Guardians turned to look at her, confused.

"Tsuki/Juudaime?"

Even the Varia was wondering what the girl was on about.

"That's the duty of the Sun Guardian…. Neh, Reborn, do you have a pair of sunglasses with you?"

Reborn stared impassively at the girl, "Sunglasses? In the middle of the night? Who would have something like that, Dame-Tsuki."

Tsuki shrugged and pointed at the Varia's Sun, "That guy's wearing sunglasses and no one's commenting."

"It's called fashion, dear," the Sun answered airily.

"Do you have an extra pair?" Tsuki asked, walking casually over to where the flamboyant man was standing and ignoring her Guardians protests.

The Varia (not including the amused boss) stared in disbelief when she stopped right in front of them, holding out her hand expectantly. Lussuria turned to his fellow Guardians, looking utterly lost.

"Well?"

Xanxus threw his head back and laughed, shocking not just the Varia, but also everyone else except for the impulsive girl. "Give the brat what she wants and let's get this shit fucking over with." He gave his subordinates a blank look when they turned to look at him incredulously.

Lussuria looked at the girl smiling innocently, eyeing her warily, he wondered if she did something to his boss, but since he happen to enjoy breathing, he decided to let it go. "Here."

Tsuki accepted the sunglasses and thanked the man before walking back to her still shocked friends. "What?"

"Um, Juudaime… why…?" Hayato stumbled over the question he wanted to ask, not really sure what he wanted to ask in the first place.

Tsuki smiled at him before looking at Ryohei and handing him the sunglasses, "Ganbatte, Onii-san."

Ryohei blinked in confusion. Accepting the sunglasses, he decided to trust his Sky, "Aa. I'll extremely win this, Sawada."

"I know you will," Tsuki said, a soft smile on her face.

"Well then, if everyone's ready, the Guardians of the Sun, please come to the center of the Ring."

The Sun Varia smirked and made his way to the arena, "I'll go and play now~"

"I'll enjoy this, Lussuria."

"Hurry up and kill him," Squalo ordered.

Ryohei nodded at his friends, "I'll go now. Leave it to me," he assured, raising a fist as he made his way to the arena.

"Ne, Tsuki. Aren't we going to form a circle or something?"

Tsuki flinched. _I was kind of hoping he wouldn't say that_.

Ryohei's eyes sparkled at the suggestion, "That sounds passionate! I've always wanted to do that!"

"Morons, why would I do something that lame!?" Hayato protested, he was about to make his escape but Takeshi grabbed him before he could.

Mukuro was about to shift far away from his embarrassing family but was grabbed by Hayato.

"If I'm going down, you're fucking going down with me."

Kyoya kept on hitting the herbivorous boxer whose arm was wrapped around his waist, but said boxer was persistent, "I am going to _kill _you for this."

"Lambo-san wants to join!" Lambo exclaimed, jumping on Mukuro's shoulder.

Takeshi looked at his Sky with his usual smile on his face, "Tsuki?"

Tsuki shook her head in defeat and complied. Ducking under the Rain Guardian's arm, she wrapped an arm around his waist and the other around Ryohei's since she was considerably shorter than them.

"Ryohei! Fight!"

"Oh!"

"Yosh! I feel my extreme power overflowing!" Ryohei exclaimed with both his fists in the air.

"You must have sucked all of mine. I feel drained," Mukuro quipped.

Squalo looked at his boss from the corner of his eyes, noticing the hard look he was giving the Rain brat, particularly the Rain brat's arm that was still wrapped around the Sky brat's shoulder. _The fuck?_

The Cervello asked to inspect the Rings of both sides to make sure it was real, both Sun handed them the Rings and waited.

"There's no mistake. We have confirmed that these are the real Half Vongola Rings. As a rule, the Rings will be hung from your necks. "

The two Sun accepted the chain that was given to them and clasped it around their necks. Ryohei took his top off in preparation for the battle, blinking in surprise when the other man on the ring walked closer and started inspecting his body.

"Wha—!?"

"Oh my!" Lussuria squealed in delight, "From up close, your body looks mighty fine! You're like totally my type~"

Mukuro and Hayato started laughing at the bewildered look on the boxer's face.

"I've decided. I'm taking you home."

"What are you saying!?"

Mammon hummed, "It's rare for anyone to fit under Lussuria's tastes…"

Levi nodded his head in agreement, "He's an unlucky kid."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm just going to fight fair and square!" Ryohei declared in his boxing position.

"Oh my~ that's a pose for boxing. Now, isn't that pathetic?" Lussuria mocked, flinging his coat off, he declared, "I, Lussuria, shall go ahead and play with you using the ultimate standing martial art, Muay Thai."

Ryohei narrowed his eyes.

"Compared to the beauty of my Muay Thai, boxing is nothing more than a game."

The boxer glared at him, "I won't allow you to mock boxing!"

The other Sun simply chuckled in reply.

"The Sun Ring, Lussuria vs. Sasagawa Ryohei, battle start!"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Conclusion of the First Match! Tsuki's Ultimatum! And the Lightning!

Tsuki wasn't particularly surprised with what happened next after the Cervello declared the start of the match.

"What the—! The ring's glowing!" Hayato exclaimed in disbelief.

True to what he said, the entire arena was covered with bright light, making it impossible to see the two people inside.

"This special ring was designed specifically for the Guardian of the Sun. It's a Sun Colosseum lit by fake sun," one of the Cervello explained.

Mukuro twirled his trident in the air, casting a special barrier around his family to protect them from the light, like a pair of giant sunglasses shielding them.

"Oh! Extreme thanks, Sawada!" Ryohei sent a thumbs-up to Tsuki, eyes covered with the sunglasses his Sky gave him earlier before turning to look at the man who lent it to her, the boxer gave _him_ a big grin, "Thank you too, for lending your spare."

Lussuria's jaw dropped, turning to look at the girl, he pointed an accusing finger at her, "Did you know about this?"

"Vooooiiiii! Did you tell them about this!?" Squalo demanded, glaring at the Cervello through the shades he was wearing.

The Cervello stepped forward, "Iie. We did not inform anyone. Sawada Tsukiyomi, how did you know about this? Whether or not we will continue this match will depend on your answer."

Tsuki's Guardians glared at the Cervello.

"How dare you! Are you accusing our Sky of cheating!?" Hayato pulled out his dynamites, wanting nothing more than to throw them at the bitches who dared accuse his Sky.

"Maa, maa, I'm sure they're not serious, right?" the smile on Takeshi's face had a dangerous edge to them, and despite the fact that he was trying to pacify the tension, his hand was wrapped around the hilt of the shinai on his back.

"Then, how can you explain why she suddenly borrowed one of Lussuria's shades if she didn't know about this?" Levi demanded.

"Because I'm not fucking stupid," Tsuki answered with a shrug, not at all affected by the accusation. Crossing her arms on her chest, she nodded towards the direction of the overhead lights inside the arena, "Were those supposed to be invisible when they're off? No? Ok—hmm, let's see. Multiple overhead lights hanging from the cage surrounding the arena where the two candidates for the position of the Sun Guardian are supposed to fight. An arena designed specifically for the _fucking _Sun," the girl raised an eyebrow, "do I still need to elaborate?"

Silence followed after the girl spoke.

Xanxus watched in amusement as his three subordinates, who accused the brat of cheating, clenched their fists, red in the face after suffering such a humiliation at the hands of a young girl who—when explaining—sounded more like she was explaining how the weather changes rather than defending herself.

"Shishishishishi. The prince is beginning to like her."

Both Cervello coughed awkwardly before turning to look at the two competitors, one grinning like a madman, the other red from embarrassment and anger.

"You may begin the match."

"MAXIMUM CANNON!"

"Haha. There goes the light," Takeshi joked, putting his hands behind his head and watching as shards of glass rained down on the two Sun after Ryohei sent a powerful punch to destroy them.

"This is extremely much better," the boxer nodded his head in agreement with himself. Removing the shades, he faced his opponent, "Let's go."

Xanxus was watching the match with a bored look on his face. Yawning, he wondered why he was even there in the first place, but one glance at the girl reminded him why. The girl was watching the match completely at eased, not even reacting (unlike two of her Guardians, the silver-haired one and the swordsman) when the sound of her Sun's bones breaking filled the arena after he punched Lussuria's metal knee, merely blinking when the brat fell on his hands and knees, breathing heavily from exhaustion.

"Kora, stand up!"

"Hmph, you're late."

"Warui, Kyoko caught me…"

"Voooi, that shorty is the Arcobaleno, Colonnello. Why is he here?"

Colonnello stared impassively at his student with his arms crossed, "It's about time. Go and show him your true strength, Ryohei!"

Lussuria smirked, "No matter who talks, it's useless. This boy is finished and I'm going to have him."

Ryohei ignored him, letting out a deep breath, the body that was shaking in exhaustion seconds ago—stilled, baffling the older man.

"Now that Colonnello-shishou is here…" standing up, the white haired teen turned to his Sky and grinned, "is it extremely alright?"

Tsuki grinned back, "Aa. Go all out."

The Varia members narrowed their eyes, wondering what they were talking about. They got their answer when the boxer's entire body started emitting heat, eyes widening in shock as they watched all the bruises and injuries from the kid's body starting to fade.

"Voooii! What the fuck!?" Squalo exclaimed when his sensitive hearing heard the sound of bones mending itself.

"Sun Activation!" Lussuria cried in realization.

Ryohei nodded, eyes flashing yellow, "Hai, the Sun Flame's extreme characteristic. Sate, it's time to extremely end this."

Sun Flames started gathering around his right hand, and before anyone could react, Lussuria was sent flying, his metal knees shattering as he landed face first on the floor.

Lussuria scrambled on his back, staring in disbelief at his shattered knee, "It… it can't be! My metal knee can't be crushed!"

Belphegor smirked, "Looks like it's over."

Colonnello smiled, pride shining in his eyes. "You did well, Ryohei."

"It was a good match. Now give me the Ring," Ryohei demanded, making his way to where the other Sun was lying.

Terror and panic showed on Lussuria's face as he tried to stand, "NO! I'm part of the Varia. I can win with only one leg!"

Tsuki's eyes narrowed.

"Come on! Let's continue! Hurry!"

Ryohei stared disconcertingly at the man's insistent, "Why are you so nervous?"

"Hurry!"

A loud blast suddenly resonated in the area, making Lussuria close his eyes, knowing that he was about to die. When the agony didn't come like he expected, he slowly opened his eyes, "Wha—!?"

Xanxus glared at the orange barrier protecting the trash, eyes immediately going to the one person brave and stupid enough to outright challenge him, he pointed his gun, "Trash…"

"Tsuki…?" Takeshi looked at his Sky uncertainly, slowly pulling his shinai from its bag.

"Voooi! The fuck are you doing, you bitch!?" Squalo raised his sword, stance ready to attack.

Both sides readied their weapons, tension rising as the two bosses stared at each other.

"Ryohei."

Ryohei swallowed, Tsuki rarely called him by his name, and when she does, it usually meant that the Sky was either extremely pissed, or extremely serious, "H-Hai?"

Tsuki nodded at Lussuria's direction, eyes not breaking away from the Varia Boss, "Heal him."

Her Guardians sighed in defeat, knowing that there was no point questioning their Sky's actions no matter how absurd it was, once she gives an order, you follow it, no matter what.

Lussuria tried backing away from the approaching boxer, but the barrier made him unable to, "What are you going to do!?"

Ryohei cocked his head to the side and blinked in confusion, "I'm going to extremely heal you like what Sawada said. Now stay still."

Tsuki glanced at them from the corner of her eyes before turning her attention back to the man glowering at her, "I don't like losing a piece."

Xanxus narrowed his eyes, gun still pointed at the girl, "The fuck are you talking about?"

Tsuki smiled mysteriously in reply. "Neh, Xanxus… can you wait until this Ring Conflict is over _before _you kill anyone?"

The Varia, Colonnello, even her Guardians were staring at her in astonishment. Reborn, rather than staring at his student, was staring at Xanxus, wondering why the Varia Boss was indulging her.

The gun pointed at her started charging up, "Don't tell me what to fucking do."

Tsuki pouted, "I'm not. It was a request. Look, just don't kill anyone yet. I know it's in your policy to kill members who fail in order to eliminate weakness, but… kill them after this whole thing is over."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow, "And why should I listen to you?"

"Humor me," Tsuki answered, smiling teasingly at him.

Every single person present watched dumbfounded as the Varia Boss lowered his gun.

Scoffing at the girl, he grunted, "Whatever."

Tsuki grinned, "Thanks."

"T-Tsuki…" Takeshi wasn't sure how he was supposed to question what happened, luckily for him, he didn't have to.

"Small Animal. What are you doing?"

Tsuki looked at her Cloud with an innocent expression on her face, "Nothing."

Gray eyes narrowed dangerously, "Omnivore…"

Tsuki shrugged, "It's far too early for anyone to die in this game."

"Kufufufufufu. I don't think that's what the Skylark is talking about, Hime-sama."

"Then what _exactly _is he talking about?" Tsuki raised an eyebrow, daring her Guardians to address the issue then and there.

"That's enough."

Tsuki and her Guardians turned to the hitman, who stared expressionless at them.

Colonnello was watching everything with a solemn expression. _Looks like I wasn't the only one who noticed. As expected of Tsuki's Guardians, but… what are _you_ going to do? Reborn._

Gritting her teeth, Tsuki looked at Reborn in the eyes before turning her attention to the arena, "Hn. How long are you two going to stay quiet over there? The match is over. Give the ring to Onii-san already."

The Cervello nodded at each other.

"The match is not over yet, both competitors are still standing."

Tsuki glared at them, her eyes blazing with the color of her Flames, "I _said _the match _is _over, declare the winner, before I go over there and knock _both of you_ down. And I swear to everything that is fucking holy, if you people comment on the fact that I interfered in the match by asking Ryohei to heal him, we're going to have to find a new judge for this Ring Battle because I will kill you."

Both Cervello visibly paled, swallowing nervously, they turned to the two Sun and announced, "Sasagawa Ryohei is the victor in the battle over the Vongola Sun Ring. Please hand over the ring to the victor."

Lussuria did so without protest, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the girl's temper. _I thought the boss was the only one who could instill this kind of fear on me, what a scary girl._

"This is the end of tonight's match, and starting tonight, we will regularly announce the next battle's participants."

"Oh, we get to find out now? Neat," Takeshi said, eyes shining with anticipation.

"Voooi! Let me go next!" Squalo demanded.

Ignoring him, the Cervello continued, "We shall now announce it. Tomorrow evening's battle will be… Lightning. The battle between the Lightning Guardians."

Tsuki closed her eyes and sighed, "Great."

"We shall meet you tomorrow evening."

And with that, the Cervello left. The moment they did, the cage of the arena crumbled down after being shot by one of the Varia.

"Voooi, Lussuria, get your stupid ass here! We're leaving."

Giving the boxer one final look, Lussuria rejoined his group.

Red eyes met sunset-amber ones, Xanxus smirked at the girl before he and his subordinates left.

Tsuki shook her head in amusement, ignoring the look her tutor was giving her, she turned to Ryohei and smiled, "Omedetō, Onii-san."

Ryohei smiled back, "It was nothing, Sawada. Now all I have to do is make this two parts one, right?"

Tsuki's eyes softened when Ryohei raised his right hand, showing everyone the complete Vongola Sun Ring on his middle finger.

"Haha. That's one down, six more to go."

"Ah, we're going to win them all."

"Kufufufufufu."

"Hn."

Tsuki smiled in agreement, but then she sensed _his _presence, the smile on her face fell. Clenching her fist in annoyance, she said without looking at him, "How long are you going to be here, Iemitsu? I thought by now you'll be gone."

Iemitsu sighed at his daughter's greeting, "Don't be like that, Tsuki."

Tsuki gave him a blank look, "Hn. We need to talk. I don't give a damn if you have something to do tonight. _We are going to talk_."

* * *

Xanxus didn't open his eyes when Squalo entered his room, not even bothering to move from his lying position on the bed.

"What do you want?"

Squalo brows furrowed, briefly wondering if he was going to survive this encounter.

"What's going on between you and Sawada Tsukiyomi?"

The second-in-command ducked to avoid being incinerated, "Vooooiiiii! Just answer the fucking question! Don't think I didn't notice the shit between you and that brat, even her fucking Guardians noticed how you two were basically flirting with each other."

"Hn."

"Xanxus!"

Xanxus sat up and glared at him, "Whatever the fuck is going on between me and her, it's none of your fucking business."

Squalo glared back, "Of course it's my goddamned business! You're my fucking boss, you asshole, whatever decisions you make regarding that girl, fucking affects the entire Varia. You even fucking granted her request of not killing anyone!"

Boss and second-in-command stared at each other, one with a blank expression, the other with a pissed off one.

"I desire her."

Squalo felt his jaw drop at the nonchalant way his boss just admitted that he desired his competition. "What!?"

Xanxus ignored him and laid back down, "If that's all you want to know, fucking leave already."

"Vooooiiiii! What the hell do you mean by that!?"

"Are you fucking stupid?"

"Are you fucking serious?"

"Hn."

"Xanxus!"

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Tsuki?"

Tsuki sighed, putting down the brush she was using, she turned and nodded at her tutor, "Aa."

Reborn inwardly sighed, knowing that there's no changing his student's mind. _Try not to fuck up, Iemitsu._

Tsuki gave her tutor a small smile before leaving her room and going down to the kitchen where the boss of CEDEF was waiting.

After bidding her friends goodbye and assuring them that she could handle everything by herself, her Guardians reluctantly agreed to let her leave with Iemitsu without taking any of them. When they reached the house, Tsuki told him to wait in the kitchen while she takes a short shower, asking Reborn to make sure he doesn't go anywhere.

When Tsuki reached the kitchen, she saw Iemitsu tapping his finger on the table. Raising an eyebrow, she wondered if he was nervous about the confrontation that was coming, or if he was impatient to leave.

Iemitsu almost jumped from his seat when his daughter suddenly sat on the chair across him.

"Tsukiyomi…"

Tsuki raised a hand to stop him, "Whatever excuse you have, I don't want to hear it. Look, this is what's going to happen. You're going to tell Kaa-san everything, and I mean _everything_. You have until the end of the Ring Battle to do it. If you leave Japan _before _you tell her, _I'm _going to tell her everything, and if that happens, I'm going to make sure Kaa-san divorces you. Do you understand?"

She didn't wait for a reply and left a wide eyed Iemitsu staring after her, only pausing at the doorway to inform him that Lambo wasn't going to fight in the next match.

_**A year and a half ago**_

_Lambo was a proud hitman from the Bovino Famiglia. He traveled to Japan at the age of 5 in order to kill Reborn and prove to his family that he was an amazing hitman. He expected the difficulty of accomplishing his mission, what he didn't expect, was that he was going to end up meeting the people who would show him the true meaning of family._

"_Gyahahaha. Reborn! Prepare to die!"_

_Tsuki sighed in annoyance when the cow-child burst into her room with a bazooka on his shoulder, how the kid even managed to carry that, she will never know._

_It's been almost a month since the cow-child arrived and caused disturbance in her home. The kid has been attempting to kill Reborn ever since he arrived, but so far, all that he managed to accomplish was pissing Hayato off, annoying Kyoya, and giving Mukuro a new source of entertainment. He also became a regular member of the house because after he tasted Mama's cooking, he never left._

"_Lambo, can you not do this now? I still have to train with Takeshi later, so I really need to finish my homework if I'm going to make it on time."_

"_Gyahahahaha. Dame-Tsuki can't tell Lambo-san what to do. Lambo-san will only listen to what Lambo-san says!"_

_Tsuki's eyes softened at the proud look on the kid's face, "How 'bout this, if you behave, I'll take you with me to Take-sushi later, and you can ask Oyaji for sushi. I bet he'll let you eat as many as you want."_

_Lambo's eyes sparkled at the thought of all the sushi he could eat, jumping on Tsuki's lap, he nodded his head, "Lambo-san will behave, Lambo-san will behave."_

"_Wah, I-pin, eat too."_

_Tsuki smiled at the little girl standing on the doorway, "How 'bout we all eat dinner at Oyaji's place?"_

_Fuuta poked his head in and looked at Tsuki excitedly, "We're going to eat at Papa's place?"_

_Tsuki nodded, "Hai. You kids go play, I'll finish my homework real quick so we can leave early."_

"_Hai!"_

_Lambo looked around him and smiled happily. Bakadera was yelling at Yakyu-baka for stealing his sushi. Pineapple-head and Scary-man was fighting in the corner of the restaurant with Shibafu-atama cheering them on. Fuuta was telling Mama and Papa the new rankings he made. I-pin was sitting on Mama's lap while Papa was feeding her sushi because he has yet to teach her the proper way to eat it. Dame-Tsuki was talking to Bianchi about the new clothing store that opened. Dog-breath, Megane, and Reborn were busy eating their sushi. Grinning to himself, he decided that it was time for Lambo-san to join in on the fun._

"_Gyahahahahahaha!"_

* * *

"Juudaime, do we really have to give them the Lightning Ring? I know you're worried about Ahoshi, but we can always have him use the Ten-Year Bazooka so his older self can fight in his place," Hayato suggested as they climbed up the stairs that led to the roof of Nami Chuu.

"I don't want to risk it. Besides, this is just one ring, we can get it back after we win the whole thing," Tsuki pointed out. She opened the door to the roof, blinking in surprise upon seeing the lightning conductors and cables surrounding the floor.

"What the heck are those!?" Gokudera exclaimed.

"Tonight's combat area is a lightning rod area appropriate for the Guardian of Lightning. The Elettrico Circuit," the Cervello explained.

Tsuki watched in awe as the floor began to shine after one of the lightning rod was hit by lightning.

"The Elettrico Circuit's floor has been coated with a special conductor. The Lightning that strikes the rods is enhanced several times and runs through them."

"Kufufufufu. And anyone who stands there will be incinerated."

Hayato nodded in agreement, "Aa, it seems like they knew that a thunderstorm was coming tonight."

The Cervello looked around and noticed that the combatant from their group was missing, "Where is your Lightning Guardian? His opponent has been waiting for 2 hours."

On the other side of the roof stood the Lightning Guardian of the Varia, staring intently at them, eyes narrowing when he noticed that his opponent was missing.

"Shishishi. Levi showed up 2 hours early again? I can't believe him."

"Unlike you, he's quite awkward like that."

Squalo's eyes narrowed, "Doesn't matter. It looks like his opponent didn't even show."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow when the girl looked at him and showed him the Lightning Ring nestled between her fore and middle finger.

"Yeah, about that…"

Before Tsuki could tell them that her team wasn't going to participate in this match, the ring was knocked out of her hand by a familiar boomerang-like metal edge, sliding into the direction of where a man wearing an orange construction work jumpsuit was standing.

"Gyahahahaha! Lambo-san is here!"

Basil looked down in shame when Tsuki's Guardians glared at him with venom, "Gomenasai… Sawada-dono."

Iemitsu ignored the menacing look his daughter's Guardians were giving him, picking up the ring, he turned to the Cervello's direction, "The Lightning Guardian is here."

"Kisama! The fuck do you think you're doing!?" Gokudera pulled out his dynamites, gritting his teeth in anger.

Takeshi was gripping the hilt of his shinai, anger shining in his normally calm eyes, Ryohei's fists were clenched, angrily glaring at Iemitsu, Mukuro summoned his trident, staring maniacally at the foolish man, Kyoya—along with Reborn—was looking at Tsuki, both wondering if this night was going to be Iemitsu's last.

"Lambo…"

Lambo jumped in surprise, "Gyupaa!" His whole body was trembling when he turned to the direction of the scary voice, "T-Tsuki?"

Tsuki ignored the twinge of guilt when she heard the fear in the cow-child's voice, with her hair covering her eyes, she asked in a soft voice, "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to go to sleep."

Even though no one could see her expression, everyone heard the ferocity in her tone.

Lambo swallowed nervously and shakily pointed at the man who made him disobey Dame-Tsuki, "It's not Lambo-san's fault! Lambo-san was thirsty, so Lambo-san went to the kitchen to drink, but this man took Lambo-san and said that Dame-Tsuki needed Lambo-san's help, and that Dame-Tsuki and everyone was going to die if Lambo-san didn't go with him." After defending himself, the cow-child started wailing, wiggling out of the blonde's hold and running towards the other Guardians.

Takeshi caught him before he could jump on Tsuki, knowing that his Sky was too dangerous right now for anyone to be near her, "Maa, maa, calm down, Lambo. Tsuki's not mad at you."

The air turned colder than it already was, everyone felt a shiver ran down their spine when the enraged Sky looked up, eyes blazing dangerously, "You… really are a fucking _merda_."

Iemitsu's eyes widened in shock, "L-Look, Tsuki. You can't just decide to hand over the Lightning Ring because you're worried about your Guardian's safety. The Rings are far more impor—"

The look of death in his daughter's eyes made him shut his mouth and caused him to unconsciously activate his Hyper Dying Will Mode. Living in the Mafia has made his senses sharp, he trained himself to react whenever he feels like his life was in danger, and the way the girl was staring at him, it made every alarm bell in his mind ring.

"If anything happens to Lambo… you better start praying to whatever Gods you believe in, Iemitsu..."

Xanxus felt a shiver of excitement and passion ran through his entire being as he watched the little Sky raise an arm and shoot her Flames to the sky, creating a hole in the clouds that momentarily stopped the rain from pouring down on their area. A maniacal grin spreading across his face when the Sky stared menacingly at the CEDEF Boss.

"'Cause you're going to be meeting them."

Iemitsu swallowed nervously, looking away from the girl, he nodded at the Cervello, who actually looked uncertain about starting the match.

Reborn sighed from his perch on Takeshi's shoulder, "Baka-Iemitsu… I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you'd be _this _stupid."

Tsuki gave Iemitsu one final look before turning to Lambo, her eyes immediately going softer upon seeing the cow-child cowering in Takeshi's arms, his face buried on the older teen's chest.

"Lambo."

Lambo stopped trembling when he heard the usual Dame-Tsuki. Slowly turning to look at the girl, a huge smile made its way to his face when he saw her smiling at him, "Dame-Tsuki!"

Tsuki took the child from her Rain's arms, "Lambo, listen to me. When things get too scary, use the bazooka, alright? And if you can't endure anymore, just say so, you don't have to win this or prove anything to us. I don't need a ring to prove that you're my Guardian."

"Juudaime…"

"Tsuki…"

"Sawada…"

Mukuro and Kyoya smirked.

Reborn smiled and lowered his fedora. _You're going to be a great boss, Tsuki._

"Alalalala. Dame-Tsuki, don't you know? Lambo-san is the strongest! Gyahahahahahaha!"

Tsuki smiled softly at the kid's boasting, "I know…"

"Yosh! Now let's extremely do the usual!"

The reluctant Guardians sighed in resignation.

"Lambo! Fight!"

"Oh!"

"Gyahahaha. That was fun! Let's do it again!"

Four Guardians looked at him simultaneously.

"Iie."

Lambo pouted and blew raspberry at them, "Kechi!"

Tsuki rolled her eyes and turned to the Cervello, she gave them a nod, signaling that they can start the match.

"The battle for the Lightning Ring. Lambo vs. Leviathan. You may now begin!"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Iemitsu Makes a Choice! The Dawn of the Two Sky!

The cow-child poked at the conductors on the floor, "I wonder how you play with this."

"Shishishi. What a sad situation..."

Mammon agreed, "He'll die in a second."

Lussuria looked at the girl who saved him from the corner of his eyes, seeing her watching everything with a calm look on her face made the Sun Varia nervous.

Lightning suddenly struck the rod causing electricity to run through the conductors, the Varia's Lightning jumped up to avoid being electrocuted.

"GUPYAA!"

Xanxus raised an eyebrow, surprised when the girl didn't even react when the child she calls her Lighting Guardian got struck by lightning, even the rest of her Guardians were staring calmly at the scene.

Lambo landed face first on the floor, smoke emitting from his small body.

"We have to check if he's alive," the Cervello made a move towards him but was stopped by Leviathan.

"There's no need, he's gone."

Tsuki smirked, "Not really."

Levi narrowed his eyes at the girl before looking at the direction where she was pointing, his eyes widening in shock upon seeing the cow-brat on his back, alive.

"It hurts!" the child bawled.

"_To draw damage to himself and away from the rest of the Famiglia, serving as a lightning rod,_" the smirk on Tsuki's face widened at the look on the Lightning Varia's face. "After being struck by lightning so many times, Lambo's physiology changed, an Elettrico Cuoio or Electric Skin. His skin can easily conduct lightning so even if it struck him, it'll barely damage his brain or organs. That cow over there is the perfect personification of the Lightning Guardian's role, don't you agree, Levi-chan?"

Tsuki's Guardians sweat dropped at their Sky's savageness.

_Voi, I can see why Boss is interested_, Squalo thought, looking at his amused boss from the corner of his eyes.

"Shishishishishi. I bet that switched Levi on."

"I'm sure," Mammon agreed.

"Maa, I'm sure right now, Levi-chan is burning with jealousy."

Levi gritted his teeth and glared at the cow-child, who looked more worried about his burnt tail than he does with his life, in anger and jealousy, he struck the kid and sent him flying. Pulling out one of his parabolas with lighting running through it, he stared at the kid, "Die."

Tsuki bit her lip, her fists clenched, she sighed in relief when the child cried and in panic, pulled the bazooka from his Afro, shooting himself. Everyone held their breath as they waited for the smoke to clear.

"Yare, yare…"

The smoke cleared and revealed a teen sitting on the floor, holding a pair of chopsticks with a dumpling in between, "I didn't think that dumplings were going to be my last supper."

"Vooooiiiii! What the heck!? There's an outsider in there!"

"Iie. He is the form of the Guardian 10 years from now, he was summoned by the Ten-Year Bazooka," one of the Cervello explained.

"Therefore, we acknowledge him as the candidate and continue the match."

Belphegor stared in interest, "Hmmm, that's interesting."

"It was my first time seeing it."

Lambo picked up the chain that his younger self dropped, putting it around his neck before making his way in front of Levi.

"Don't show off more than me."

Lambo blinked, "Varia, huh. That's an impossible request. I'm a star material," he said while putting both horns on his head. "Thunder Set!"

Mammon watched impressed as lightning rained down on the teen, "Ignoring the lightning rod and calling the thunder himself. I'm a bit surprised."

"Take this! Elettrico Cornata!"

Tsuki knew that even the 15-year-old Lambo wasn't a match against Levi, so when the teen was beaten by the older man, she only clenched her fists and waited for the right moment to interfere, not caring about what the consequences would be. Her eyes widened when 15-year-old Lambo, in fear, fired the Bazooka on himself.

Reborn looked down and smirked.

"If Ahoshi from 10 years in the future uses the Ten-Year Bazooka again…" Hayato trailed off, waiting anxiously for the pink smoke to clear.

Everyone on the roof felt the air go heavier around them.

"W-What's going on? The air is…" Takeshi's eyes narrowed, his instincts telling him that someone powerful was coming.

"Hmm..." Kyoya felt a shiver of excitement ran down his spine, something he never felt unless he was facing the Akambo, or Tsuki, or even Takeshi when he was serious.

When the smoke finally cleared, 25-year-old Lambo stood there, surveying his surroundings before his eyes landed on Tsuki.

Tsuki watched in shock when tears started falling from the man's eyes, "Wha—?" Her body went still when the man suddenly pulled her in a tight hug.

"I didn't think… I'd ever see you again… Nee-chan…"

Reborn, Tsuki, and her Guardians didn't miss the implication of what he said, even Xanxus narrowed his eyes when he heard the man.

Lambo took a deep breath, pulling away from the girl, he wiped his tears and composed himself, "Gomen, I shouldn't have… Gomen…"

"Oi…" Hayato clenched his fists and stared intently at the man, "Ahoshi, what are you...?"

Lambo silenced him with a look, giving his family one final glance before making his way to where his past-self left the chain, he stared at it with a nostalgic expression before putting it around his neck.

"It doesn't matter who you are. I'm going to kill you," Levi said, glaring at him.

Lambo's face was impassive when he finally met the man's gaze, "I'd like to see you try…"

"Enough talk. Die! Levi Volta!"

Levi attacked the man using the same attack he used to defeat his 15-year-old self. The Varia members smirked, thinking that the match was finally over when even the lightning rods were struck, which ended up amplifying Levi's attack.

"Looks like the match is done. It's impossible to block Levi's attack, it's practically a one-hit K.O. it was thanks to this move that Levi became a Varia executive," Mammon stated.

"Shit! This is bad, Juudaime—" Hayato turned to his Sky in panic, eyes widening when he saw the girl staring attentively at the older Lambo.

"Hmm, it's been awhile since I've felt this much electricity in my body…"

Levi and the Varia members, even Tsuki's Guardians watched in disbelief as the man simply stood there with a bored expression.

"Gomen, Levi. But I don't want to fail my Nee-chan again."

Lambo slammed his hand on the floor, "ELLETRICO REVERSAL!" A massive electric current ran down the entire building, causing the windows to shatter.

"He unleashed that amount of current into the ground?" Levi exclaimed.

"Electricity is like a kitten to me. Do you understand now? Unlike my past-selves, I've perfected the impeccable Elettrico Cuoio," Lambo smirked, lightning cracking on his hand. "Thunder Set."

Tsuki and her Guardians watched in awe as red lightning rained down on Lambo.

"That looks amazing," Takeshi praised, his fellow Guardians nodding in agreement.

Everything was going well for Tsuki's side, not only was 25-year-old Lambo able to perfect the Elettrico Cuoio, but he also perfected his Elettrico Cortana, giving him the upper hand when he trapped Levi in his lightning.

"You're still not good enough. Go home and practice some more."

"I-I can't lose! I-Impossible!"

Looking at the direction of his boss, Levi begged him, "Boss! Please! Praise me again!"

"I'm much more experienced than you. Come back some other time."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed. _Time's up_.

A puff of pink smoke appeared, and the familiar voice of the 5-year-old Lambo rang throughout the area.

"Gupyaa!"

The remaining electricity his future-self left behind was too much for Lambo's body, it knocked him out in an instant.

Levi shakily stood and towered over the fallen kid, "In the end, the one who is more suited to the role of Lightning Guardian, is still me."

"Teme!"

Tsuki's Guardians readied their weapons.

"Matte," Reborn stopped them before they could do anything, "you'll be disqualified if you interfere."

The Cervello stepped in front of them, "That's correct. One step into Elettrico Circuit… will end in your disqualification and confiscation of your Ring."

Xanxus watched as the brat's Guardians protested, ignoring his own Lightning Guardian as he hovered his foot above the cow-brat's form, he focused on the silent girl. _Looks like I'll be getting my hand on the Sky Ring earlier than I initially expected._

"Well... that's too bad…" Tsuki gave the Cervello a blank look before moving pass them and stepping into the Elettrico Circuit, "I have this nasty habit of not caring about consequences."

She stopped in front of Levi and said, "Do it…"

Levi felt his entire body freeze, the girl wasn't even glaring at him, and yet as of that moment, he has never feared anyone as much as he feared the girl staring at him.

"Come on, Leviathan. Do it. Give me a reason to burn your legs off, your comrades looks like they want to see something gruesome, don't you want to give them what they want?"

The Varia couldn't even blame the guy for backing away from her.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "You're not going to do it? Ok," she shrugged and picked the child up, cradling him in her arms.

"The Vongola Rings. The position for boss… I don't care how important those things are… I won't fight for such things. But… I will fight for _them_."

She stared at Iemitsu in the eyes as if daring him to rebuke her. Handing Lambo to Ryohei, she turned to her tutor, whose eyes were hidden by his fedora, "Gomen. Reborn."

Her tutor looked up and smirked at her, "What's new, Dame-Tsuki?"

Tsuki looked away to hide the smile on her face.

"Brat…"

The female Sky turned and looked at the Varia Boss, blinking in surprise when he smiled at her, not noticing that everyone on the roof was staring at them in shock.

The Varia was staring at their boss in amazement. They've seen him laugh and look amuse, but it's been quite a long time since they've seen him smile.

"This is rare," Belphegor commented.

"How long has it been since we've seen the Boss smile?" Mammon wondered.

"It's been 8 years…" Levi answered, staring at his boss awe.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow.

"I finally understand why the old geezer chose you as his successor, even if it was only temporary. Whether it's your belief, or the way you talk. You and that old fart are similar in many ways."

Xanxus tilted his head to avoid the Sky Flames the brat shot him, smiling widely at the annoyed look on her face.

"Oh, please," Tsuki rolled her eyes, "don't compare me to that man."

Xanxus threw his head back and barked out a laugh, "This is going to be the birth of a tragedy. Iie, a comedy!"

Tsuki smirked.

Xanxus met her eyes and addressed the Cervello without breaking eye contact, "Oi woman. Continue."

The Cervello nodded, "Hai. Then we shall announce the result of the match. Leviathan wins because of Sawada-san's interruption in this Guardian Battle. The Lightning Ring, as well as the Sky Ring, will be given to the Varia."

Tsuki's Guardians looked resigned, expecting this outcome.

Tsuki removed the chain from around her neck, "Onii-san, give them Lambo's ring. Make sure they don't get anywhere near him."

"Aa."

Xanxus caught the ring the brat threw at him, making a big show of combining the two Half-Rings and sliding it into his right ring finger, "It's only natural that this Ring is here," he said, showing everyone the complete Vongola Sky Ring on his finger, "who else other than me can be the boss of Vongola?"

Tsuki rolled her eyes amusedly at the man's theatrics.

Her Guardians weren't as amused, they were glaring angrily at the Varia Boss. Iemitsu was clenching his fist at the nonchalant way his daughter just handed the Sky Ring to the other boss.

"The rest of the Rings don't even matter anymore…"

In a blink of an eye, Xanxus was standing in front of the younger boss, towering over her smaller form, "I can order you guys to be killed in the name of Vongola if I want to."

Tsuki barely reacted, only tilting her head to stare at the red eyes of the older man.

Her guardians were gritting their teeth, wanting nothing more than to go to their Sky and protect her, but when they moved to do so, Reborn stopped them with a look. _Let her handle this_.

"Do you really want to do that?" Tsuki stepped closer to the other boss.

Everyone held their breath as the girl stopped within an arm's reach from Xanxus, a challenging smirk on her face.

A maniacal grin spread across the Varia Boss' face, "Where would be the fun in that?"

An almost matching grin appeared on the younger boss' face, "Thought so."

"There'll be plenty of time to deal with you later," Xanxus promised, a glint passing in his eyes that was meant only for the girl to see.

Tsuki fought down a blush.

"After letting you taste real despair in this Ring Conflict. Like I did to that old fool."

Reborn's eyes narrowed.

"Xanxus!" Iemitsu bellowed, "What did you do to Nono!?"

"Bhah! It's your job to find that out, External Advisor," the Varia Boss taunted.

"Shishishishishi."

Iemitsu gritted his teeth in anger, "Teme! Don't tell me...!"

"Calm down, Iemitsu. You don't have any proof."

"You too. Put the gun down."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow. _This is interesting. I didn't know Reborn could make that kind of face._

Xanxus briefly met the girl's eyes before telling the Cervello to announce the next match.

"The next match for tomorrow night will be… the battle between the Storm Guardians."

Belphegor grinned.

"Hmm, so Hayato's next? Lucky~" Takeshi smiled at the Storm Guardian, not noticing the strained look on the other teen's face.

_This is bad… I'm going up already…? That move isn't perfect yet…_

"So Bel's next. Not bad."

Tsuki watched amusedly as Levi knelt next to Xanxus and offered him the Lightning Ring, almost laughing out loud when the boss refused to accept it.

"Oi Xanxus!"

Xanxus turned his attention to the man glaring at him, "What?"

"Tell me what you did to Nono! Or I'll—"

"You'll what?" Xanxus scoffed, "You can't do anything against me, Iemitsu. But if you're really worried about your precious Nono, why don't you go to Italy and find out."

Iemitsu clenched his fists, staring venomously at the amused boss, "Reborn, I'll entrust Tsuki and the others to you."

Reborn lowered his fedora to his eyes and didn't answer.

Iemitsu looked down and stared confusedly at the silent Arcobaleno, "Reborn…?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

The sharp edge on the calm tone of the younger Sky cut through the night.

Iemitsu stood stock-still. Closing his eyes, he breathed out a sigh before looking at his daughter, "Tsuki. I have a more pressing matter to attend to. We can discuss that _after _I get back."

Tsuki stared emotionless at the man, "Didn't I tell you what would happen if you leave Japan without telling her?"

Sunset-amber eyes flashed orange when the man sighed like he was getting tired of dealing with a teenager's tantrum.

"Tsukiyomi, can you please quit acting up, you're too old for this. We'll talk more about that _after _I get back. End of discussion. You already caused enough trouble by losing not just the Lightning Ring, but also the Sky Ring. Don't cause any more problems."

The air suddenly turned hotter, the shower of rain started evaporating due to the intensity of the heat. Every single person in the roof watched with wide eyes as a whirl of Sky Flames started circling around the younger Sky.

"_Acting up_."

Xanxus didn't bother hiding the lust and hunger in his eyes, not giving a fuck about whoever sees his unadulterated desire for the girl.

"Are you fucking serious? You're actually blaming me for that? Who was the one who brought a fucking child here after I _specifically _said that he wasn't fighting? What? Did you think Lambo was a fucking Arcobaleno too, Iemitsu?"

Said man flinched at the spiteful tone of his daughter, "Tsu—"

Tsuki cut him off with a glare, eyes blazing orange, "No. _Vaffanculo._ Enough is enough. Tell Kaa-san everything _now_, Iemitsu. For the first time in your fucking life, put your family first _before _your fucking Family. Just this once, do right by Kaa-san. You don't even have to do this for me because frankly, I've stopped giving a fuck about you ages ago. But... Kaa-san… Kaa-san never stopped…" she clenched her fists and looked down, "she never stopped, Iemitsu. Not even after she met someone else who could give her the happiness she deserve, someone who deserve her far more than you will ever do."

Iemitsu clenched his fist, "Nono—"

"_Figlio di puttana_! Iemitsu! To hell with fucking Nono!"

Everyone flinched at the intensity of the girl's tone.

"You're the motherfucking _boss_of fucking _CEDEF_. Get your subordinates to check on him while you talk to Kaa-san. What's one more day? I'm sure Nono could spare you one, after all, he owes Kaa-san _years_."

_Looks like the Boss isn't the only one with Daddy issues. But it seems like Iemitsu fucked up more than his old man did_,Squalo thought, watching silently from the sidelines, not even daring to make a single sound lest the terrifying girl turn her burning eyes on him. _You have a scary taste, Xanxus._

Iemitsu had the audacity to glare at his daughter's "disrespectful" attitude towards the Ninth, "Tsuki, I ask you, not as your father but as the CEDEF Boss. Do not disrespect Nono."

Both Varia members and Tsuki's Guardians—including Reborn—fought down the urge to face palm, all of them having the same thoughts. _You're an idiot, Iemitsu_.

The Sky Flames surrounding the girl dissipated, leaving an exhausted girl standing there staring at her father with a look of resignation.

"Do whatever you want, CEDEF Boss."

The silence that descended after the girl spoke was deafening.

Iemitsu coughed awkwardly, "I'm glad you're finally seeing reason. Sate, like I said, we'll talk about that when I get back. Good luck with the rest of the battles. I'll see you after I make sure that Nono is alright."

And with that, the CEDEF Boss turned to leave.

"Don't bother."

Iemitsu froze.

"You'll have no reason to come back here. _No one _will welcome you back, Iemitsu."

The finality in her tone made Iemitsu almost turn back, but he figured, by the time he's done with his business in Italy, Tsuki would have calmed down, so he continued on and left without a backward glance.

"J-Juudaime…"

Hayato was about to walk over to his Sky but Takeshi stopped him, looking at the Rain in confusion, the taller teen only shook his head.

"I'm tired, Reborn."

Reborn sighed, "Try not to do anything stupid, Dame-Tsuki."

Tsuki stared at him before looking at her Guardians, "Onii-san, make sure you heal all the life-threatening injuries Lambo has before you take him to the hospital. Go with him Hayato, and take care of everything that needs to be taken care of. Takeshi, you have my full permission to tell Oyaji everything. Mukuro, tell Kaa-san what happened here, don't give her all the details, just what she needs to know, tell her that I'll talk to her tomorrow. Kyoya, keep everyone safe. I'll see you guys at tomorrow's match."

Tsuki left after she finished giving her orders, not bothering to wait for her Guardian's reply. Reborn looked down when he noticed that the Varia Boss was already gone along with the rest of his subordinates.

_Be careful, Dame-Tsuki. Playing with too much fire might burn you._

* * *

"Did you enjoy the show?"

Was the question that met him when he reached the clearing where he first followed the little Sky. The Varia Boss leaned back on a tree and crossed his arms, "_Mi chiedo._ Looks like I'm not the only one fond of the word fuck."

Tsuki rolled her eyes. Tearing her gaze away from the view Mother Nature had to offer her, she turned her full attention to the older man.

"Why did you follow me?"

"I told you, I don't have to tell you shit."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, never been one to beat around the bush, she stared directly into the other boss' eyes and said, "You want me."

Xanxus smirked, "Just as much as you want me, Vasílissa."

"Who said I do?"

"You don't?"

"No, I don't."

Xanxus continued to smirk, red eyes shining with mirth at her attempt of denial, "How long are you going to drag the game on?"

"Which one? _This _game, or _that _game?"

When the Varia Boss didn't answer, Tsuki sighed and slowly made her way to where Xanxus was, stopping only a foot away from him.

"_That _game… I'm going to drag that on for as long as I can… but…"

Xanxus watched as the girl walked closer to him until he could feel the heat from her body, fighting down a shiver when the little vixen ran a finger down his throat.

"_This _game… depends entirely on you..."

Tsuki pulled him down by his tie, similar to what she did when she first tempted the Varia Boss, lips hovering over his, she asked in a sensual tone, "How good are you at distraction, Xanxus?"

Their position was flipped in a blink of an eye, feeling the hard surface of the tree on her back, the younger of the two didn't have time to react before a pair of lips crashed violently against her own. Letting out a moan, Tsuki wrapped her arms around his neck and let the older man devour her mouth.

Xanxus grabbed the girl by her ass and lifted, her legs automatically wrapping itself around his waist, pulling away, the Varia Boss smirked at the panting girl, "No uniform?"

"Why? Do you have a fetish for it?" Tsuki teased. She buried her fingers on the man's spiky hair and pulled his mouth back to hers, biting on his lower lip, she kept her gaze locked with his when she gave his lip a nip, pulling at his hair lightly when he granted her entrance to his mouth. Nudging his tongue back, she started exploring, tongue running through everything it could reach in his cavern.

While the girl was exploring his mouth, Xanxus was exploring her body, pressing her hard against the tree so he wouldn't need to support her, one hand crept up her shirt, feeling the heated skin on his palm, while the other was fondling her breast. Tsuki grunted and pulled her mouth away from his, a thin thread of saliva still connecting them. She leaned her head on the tree and pushed her breast to older Sky's kneading hand, letting out a silent cry when Xanxus started rubbing his arousal against her clothed core, even with her jeans still on, she could feel how hard the man was.

Xanxus licked at the girl's exposed neck, smirking when she let out a giggle.

"That tickles."

"Hn."

At the first feel of the older man's teeth, Tsuki pulled at his hair, causing him to grunt in annoyance after being forced to separate from her neck.

"Don't leave a mark."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow, "Why? Worried about how your trash Guardians are going to react if they found out you're fucking your enemy?" he asked, giving her breast a squeeze.

Tsuki pouted, "Not really. Reborn already knows anyway. Besides, who I do this with has nothing to do with them. I just don't want to have a glowing neon sign that says 'I'm fucking someone'."

"The Arcobaleno knows?"

Tsuki grinned cheekily at him, "You scared?"

Red eyes glared at her, "Do you want to die?"

Tsuki gave her hips a roll, making the older man grunt, "Why would I?" She left a trail of kisses from his cheek up to his ear, biting at the lobe, she whispered against his ear, "Things are just getting good."

With a growl, Xanxus pulled the girl in a rough kiss that he tried to dominate, but the younger wouldn't have it, she pushed her tongue against his and challenged him—tongue battling, teeth clashing, lip biting, their lip-lock too messy to even be called a kiss. The wet sound of their fight filled the area along with the occasional moans and whimpers from the girl and grunts from the man.

Xanxus was getting addicted to the vixen's taste, and the fact that she was fighting _him_ for dominance, made him harder than he already was, and he has yet to even see her bare, with this observation in mind, he pulled away from her—or tried to—the moment she felt the older man trying to pull away, she caught his lower lip between her teeth, glaring at the him through half-lidded eyes.

He grunted and forcefully pulled his lips away from her, making her whine.

"What?"

The older of the two stared amusedly at the pouting girl. "Strip."

Tsuki felt her eye twitch and her cheeks flush, she stared blankly at the man staring at her impatiently, but behind that, she could see the hunger and need in his ruby red eyes. Smirking, an idea popped into the girl's head. Unwrapping her legs from the man's waist, she pushed him slightly away from her.

Keeping their gazes locked, she slowly took her jacket off, letting it fall by her side, next she took off the shirt she was wearing underneath, leaving her upper body in nothing but her black satin bra, instead of removing her bra like she knew the older man was waiting for, she bent slightly and removed the boots she was wearing, eyes glinting with amusement when the man glared at her for stalling. Throwing her boots to the side, she walked closer to the older man and slid her hands up his chest, letting it slide up on his shoulder before running it down his muscled arms, removing his Varia jacket in the process.

She nipped at his neck while loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, leaving kisses on the exposed skin of his chest, she brushed her hand on his hard abs and wrapped her arms around his waist. Leaning up, she bit on his chin and muttered, "Take it off for me."

Her bra was off in an instant. She let out a cry of surprise when her bared back hit the cool, damp grass of the clearing, staring up into the man, he looked down on her with such hunger in his eyes it made her shiver in anticipation for what the older man has in store for her. She threw her head back when he latched onto one of her nipples, threading her fingers through his hair, she pulled him closer.

The feel of his hot mouth on her nipple—nipping and licking, his fingers tugging and pinching her other one, made her moan out loud. Pulling his head away from her breast, she pulled the man down on a wet kiss, rolling her tongue with his. Xanxus smirked into the kiss, meeting her half-closed eyes, he rolled her tongue inside his mouth and sucked, enjoying the feel of her nails scraping his scalp in return.

Tsuki was panting heavily when the man pulled away, staring at him almost drunkenly as he looked down on her with a smug look on his face. Seeing the girl's face flushed with arousal, her sunset-amber eyes dilated and darkened with lust made his cock throb, almost making him hiss with how tight it feels confined in his pants.

Straddling the girl, Xanxus pulled his shirt off and tossed it behind him. Tsuki breathed heavily upon seeing his body, there wasn't an ounce of fat on him, his body was muscular and sturdy, the deep V-line of his abdomen made her bite her lip to keep herself from moaning, the scars on his body just added to the sexiness of the man smirking down on her, she could feel his eyes on her, and even without looking, she knew that the older Sky was enjoying her reaction to his body.

He leaned down and licked the swell of her breast, "It's bigger than I initially thought," the Varia Boss commented offhandedly, kneading one breast while licking its twin. During the rare times where he allowed himself to fantasize about his enemy, he figured that given her age, she would have at least a decent size breast, but seeing the real thing—"Looks like your clothes are good at hiding these."

"Hmmm, training," she breathed out, putting a hand behind his neck.

He started licking his way down her body, leaving a trail of saliva in his wake. He stripped her jeans off along with her underwear, grabbing her thighs to prevent her legs from closing instinctively. Smirking, the older man stared at the flushed girl beneath him.

"Fucking wet already, huh?"

Her eyes narrowed, fighting down her embarrassment and the urge to smack the smug man, she looked straight into his lust filled eyes as her hands began working on unbuckling his pants. She heard the barely audible hiss of the man when her fingers brushed his arousal, grinning mischievously, she pulled his erection out after unzipping him. Blinking, she looked down and gasped.

"Fuck."

Xanxus threw his head back and laughed, how could he not? The shock look on her face when she saw his size and then the worried one that followed, it was too much for the Varia Boss. He felt her legs wrap around his waist before he suddenly found himself on his back with her straddling him, arms on either side of his head.

"Shut up," she mumbled, glaring down on him. The older man only smirked and grabbed her ass, giving it a squeeze.

He gave an involuntary shudder when the younger Sky reached back and started pumping him. _It's been too damn long_, he thought. He gritted his teeth, his grip on her ass tightening. Feeling someone else's hand on his cock, rubbing and teasing him, having _this _gorgeous girl on top of him, made him just about lose it. Xanxus has never been drunk, his inhuman tolerance for alcohol made it impossible, but the girl, the girl's taste was intoxicating, it was making him lose his mind with how much he wants her, how much his body _crave _her.

Tsuki bit her lip, watching in fascination as the older man's red eyes started flashing a burning orange color. She swallowed nervously at the dangerous look on his face.

"Xanxus…"

The older man grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her down, touching their foreheads together, his burning red eyes staring straight into her sunset-amber ones. "You started this."

Keeping one hand on the back of her head, he used his other one to guide her hips, hissing when her slickened lips touched his length.

Tsuki moaned and tried to pull her head back but the man wouldn't let her. With their eyes still locked, the man began rubbing his head against her opening. She dug her nails on his shoulder, not caring that she was breaking the skin, breathing heavily, she pressed their lips together and murmured, "Stop teasing…"

Xanxus kissed her back with the same vigor, threading his fingers through her hair, he wrapped an arm around her waist and impaled her, not feeling any resistance, he pulled back from the girl and raised an eyebrow.

Hazy eyes blinked down, seeing the unasked question in his burning eyes, she smirked and said against his lips, "Training."

The older man grunted into the kiss, understanding what she meant. He broke away from her and started trailing kisses down her neck, biting down on the junction between her slender neck and shoulder, he ignored the warning pull on his hair, taking a nipple in his mouth, he commanded, "Ride me."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed, "You're a demanding asshole."

Pulling herself up on a sitting position, she gave her hips an experimental roll, moaning when she felt his dick scrape against her walls. She bit her lip and started moving her hips up and down his length, putting her hands on his chest for balance. Throwing her head back, she started moving at a faster pace which made her breasts bounce with her movement, much to the enjoyment of the man beneath her.

Xanxus watched captivated as the girl's face twisted in pleasure, her mouth open in a silent cry as she continued to impale herself with his cock, the sound of their skin slapping against each other filling the entire area. He held her by the waist and slammed his hips up, making her scream in surprise.

"Xanxus!"

He pulled her down and pressed her body hard against his, his hips thrusting up in time with her descent. Grabbing her on either side of her face, he crashed their mouth together and shoved his tongue inside, she accepted his invitation and rubbed her own tongue against his, making their tongue wrap around each other, both ignoring the saliva dripping down their chin—too drunk on each other's taste to care. Xanxus moved them into a sitting position with the girl still straddling him, pulling away from her, he started suckling on her breast, his hand kneading its twin while his other hand was caressing her ass. Tsuki wrapped her arms around his head, pressing it closer to her, she buried her fingers through his hair and continued riding his cock.

"Xanxus… ahh… so fucking…"

The Varia Boss grinned, giving her nipple a sharp nip, he licked the skin of her breasts and asked, "So fucking what?"

Tsuki groaned when the man held her still after she failed to answer him. She hissed his name but the asshole didn't budged, she gripped his hair and pulled harshly. "_Bastardo._"

He grunted and glared at her. "_Cagna_."

Both Sky continued to glare at each other, their personalities making it almost impossible for either one of them to yield.

The younger of the two suddenly chuckled, shaking her head, she gave the man a peck on the lips, "_Il tuo cazzo,_" she whispered seductively before licking at his bottom lips, her own eyes glowing in orange inferno. Squeezing her walls around him, she smirked at the groan her action received, "_Il tuo cazzo è così fottutamente grande, Xanxus_."

Her dirty words spoken in his mother tongue made his control snap. Pushing her off him and into her back, he got on top of her and slammed his dick inside her, hitting her right on her G-spot. Tsuki moaned loudly, clawing at the man's back as he continued to slam into her over and over, making her see stars every time his precision hit her sweet spot, she wrapped her legs around his torso, one hand sliding down his pants to grab an ass cheek, the other clutching his biceps.

"Xanxus! Shit! Slow down! Ahh, ahh! Xanxus!"

The older man bit one of her breasts, making her back arch, "_Sta 'zitto,_" he growled out, doing the exact opposite of what she said and increased his pace, making her scream in pleasure. He felt her walls tightening around him, knowing that she was about to come, he slammed his dick hard inside her and barked, "Come."

Tsuki threw her head back, her entire body lifting off the ground with the force of her first orgasm in the hands of her enemy with Xanxus watching her body convulse under him. Smirking, he didn't give the girl a chance to regain her breathing, he flipped her on her hands and knees, banging into her before she could comprehend what was happening.

"Wha—!?"

Tsuki's mouth opened in a scream, moaning loudly as the man kept on vigorously penetrating her, hands clutching the grass underneath her palm to keep her grounded.

"Xanxus, stop! Fuck! This... too much... it's too much!"

Xanxus grinned maniacally as the younger girl whimpered, pressing his body against her back, he grabbed both her breasts and gave it a hard squeeze. "Don't. Tell. Me. What. To. Fucking. Do." he grunted, thrusting hard into her at each word. Her walls was clenching around his dick so tightly it was making it hard to pull out.

Tsuki felt her second orgasm about to burst, grasping Xanxus' right hand—the fact that the Sky Ring was literally in her hand not registering to her—she brought his wrist to her mouth and sunk her teeth in as her second mind-blowing climax hit her. With a growl, Xanxus followed after her, his body shuddering in pleasure as he spilled his seeds deep inside her.

He rested his head on her shoulder while he tried to get his breathing under control, grunting when she pushed him back so she could roll on her back. He laid on his stomach facing her, a look of satisfaction on his face. She noticed that his eyes were no longer glowing.

"Ne… were my eyes…"

"Glowing? Aa."

Tsuki hummed, turning to look at the stars, it finally dawned on her what she just did.

Xanxus watched in amusement as the girl groaned.

"I am so dead."

* * *

_Vaffancul_o - Fuck you

_Figlio di puttana_ \- Son of a bitch

_Mi chiedo_ \- I wonder

_Bastardo - _Bastard

_Cagna - _Bitch

_Il tuo cazzo – _Your cock

_Il tuo cazzo è così fottutamente grande – _Your dick is so fucking big

_Sta 'zitto - _Shut up


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Sun Arcobaleno! And the Storm!

"VOOOOIII! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN, YOU SHITTY BOSS!?"

Xanxus ignored the silver-haired man and went straight to his room, locking the door behind him. He threw his jacket on the bed and grabbed a bottle of rum, drinking straight from the bottle, he sat on the bed with his back resting on the headboard, a smirk slowly spreading across his face as he remembered his parting with a certain Sky.

"_You're a horrible, horrible person."_

_Xanxus scoffed, "You're just figuring that out now?" He ignored the glare the girl sent him. Shrugging his shirt on, he turned to her and watched blankly as she made her way towards him, fully dressed, much to his disappointment._

"_You could have at least held back you know. My whole body hurts," she complained, pouting at the man as she stopped in front of him and began buttoning his shirt, smirking when he lazily wrapped an arm around her waist._

_Matching her smirk, he said, "You weren't complaining last night, and you were certainly not complaining 15 minutes ago when I was banging you against that tree."_

_Tsuki's face flushed, _"Stronzo," _she mumbled._ Where the hell did he get all those stamina? Doing it from midnight till dawn, and in all those position. This guy really is a monster.

_Xanxus grabbed her chin and tilted her head, leaning down, he whispered against her lips, "Admit it, you enjoyed being fucked by me just as much as I enjoyed fucking you. You were just as insatiable as I was, Vasílissa."_

_The younger Sky grumbled into the kiss, pulling back slightly, she stared at him in the eyes and reminded, "This changes nothing."_

_Red eyes glared at her, "That's not something you need to remind me of."_

"_Good." She attempted to pull away from him but the arm around her waist prevented her, she looked up, confused, "Xanxus…?"_

_He smirked down on her and purred, "You want to stop this?"_

_She pretended to think about it. Smiling at the man, she wrapped an arm around his neck, fingers toying with the collar of his shirt, "Nope. At least, not yet. This is far too pleasurable," the girl admitted with a wicked glint in her eyes._

_Xanxus grinned wildly, "You and I are going to have a lot of fun."_

* * *

Tsuki sighed in relief when she didn't see Reborn in her room, opening her window, she entered the room and went straight to her closet to grab a change of clothes before making her way to the bathroom for a much needed shower.

"You reek of sex… and Xanxus."

Tsuki froze. _Damn it._

Standing beside the doorway of her room was her tutor, eyes hidden by his fedora, but the boss candidate heard the disapproval in his tone.

"Reborn…"

"What were you thinking, Dame-Tsuki? Or were you even thinking at all?"

Tsuki closed her eyes and sighed, "It's not like you didn't see this coming. You knew there was _something _going on between Xanxus and I, and yet you chose not to say anything about it."

Reborn looked up and met his student's eyes, "Hn. I didn't think you'd be foolish enough to act on it."

She shrugged her shoulder in reply, "This thing with him was too tempting. I couldn't resist," and with that, she walked pass the hitman and continued her way to the bathroom, only to stop before she could take a step down the stairs. "What happened between us doesn't change the fact that we're enemies, that he would kill me and my friends if he was given a chance. I know that, _he _knows that. I swear, whatever happens between us from this moment on until the end of this Ring Battle…" she turned her head and looked straight into the eyes of her tutor, "it's not going to get in my way."

"Hmph. You were smart enough to use protection, right?"

Sunset-amber eyes flashed with mischief, making Reborn's eyes narrow dangerously, "Dame-Tsuki…"

Tsuki chuckled at the warning look on the infant's face, "We did it raw…" she ducked down to avoid the bullet her tutor fired at her, sweat dropping when she turned and saw the hole the bullet made, "are you trying to kill me?"

"Dame-Tsuki, tell me you're joking, or I swear the next bullet will go straight to your skull."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow at him, "If you kill me, you'll have to deal with my Guardians, a retired hitman, the Cavallone Family because let's face it, Dino-nii loves me more than he fears you, then there's Vongola cause you know, you killed one of their boss candidate… do you really want to deal with all that?"

Reborn smirked, "You've gotten cheekier, Dame-Tsuki."

She shrugged, "You know I'm right."

Looking at her tutor with a serious look on her face, she told him, "We did do it raw, we were both too caught up to even think about using protection, but…" she patted her right arm, "I have implant, Reborn. Stop worrying about this thing with Xanxus. I know what I'm doing."

Reborn watched his student leave, thinking about what she just said. _Why and when did you get the implant, Dame-Tsuki? Was it before I came here? Or have you been planning this thing with Xanxus from the very start? _He gritted his teeth, irritated with the fact that there were still a lot of mysteries surrounding his student, things that _he_ didn't know, plans that _he _didn't know. She never talked about what her life was like before she met him, no matter how much he threatened her, she was tight-lipped, even her Guardians. All he knew was that when he met her, she was the exact opposite of what that Baka-Iemitsu told him.

_**A year and a half ago**_

_The number one hitman in the world waited for the door to open, mentally preparing himself for when he meets his next Dame-student, but judging from what the CEDEF Boss told him, it looks like this one will be even more challenging to train than his previous student. _It's nothing I can't fix. Be prepared, Dame-Tsuki.

_The door opened and revealed a woman with short brown hair with matching brown eyes, she looked around confusedly for a second before Reborn coughed to get her attention._

"_Ara. Where did you come from? Are you lost?"_

"_Ciaossu. I am the home tutor, Reborn."_

_Nana blinked, "Home tutor…?" she cocked her head to the side in confusion before remembering the flyer she received earlier, "Ah! I remember now! So you were the home tutor that flyer mentioned. Let's go inside."_

_Reborn followed the woman inside her home, nodding to himself as he looked around the cozy looking home. When they entered the kitchen, Nana immediately grabbed some cushion to make it easier for him to see the table. He thanked the woman and hopped into his sit._

"_So where is my student? Is she still sleeping?" Reborn asked, eager to start his job. He figured, the sooner they start, the faster it will be for his student to come to terms with the fact that she will be the next boss of the most powerful Mafia Family in the world._

"_Hmm? Tsu-chan is still sleeping, she usually wakes up an hour before school starts," the woman informed him, placing a cup of tea in front of him._

"_Grazie."_

_Nana took a sit in front of him and drank from her own tea, "E to… Reborn-chan… I think there was some sort of mistake."_

_Reborn raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Sawada-san?"_

"_Tsu-chan doesn't need a home tutor, she's really intelligent you know. I thought the flyer earlier was just an advertisement, but seeing that you're here... I wonder who called you…"_

_He stared at her for a minute, seeing the genuine look on her face proved that she wasn't just trying to make excuses for her child._

"_Intelligent?"_

_Nana nodded, pride shining in her eyes, "My Tsu-chan is a prodigy. She's the top of her class and she's really popular too. Lots of guys want her to be their girlfriend, but Take-kun, Mu-kun, Kyo-kun, Ryo-kun, and Tsuyoshi-san are so overprotective of her, they always scare off anyone who attempted to court her. At this rate, I won't even get a single grandchild," the woman pouted._

_If Reborn was any other person, his jaw would have been hanging open, but since he was the world's greatest hitman, he kept his expression in check but on the inside, he was mentally killing the _idiota. _The more he listened to the woman's bragging about her child, the more the hitman was tempted to fly back to Italy just so he could kill the idiot whose information about his _own _daughter was so damn inaccurate—he might as well have been talking about someone else's kid. Reborn would have doubted the woman's words, but since he personally knew Iemitsu, he knew just how badly the guy sucks at being a father, but even _he _didn't think that Iemitsu would be this wrong about his own child. Some bits of inexact details like friends and grades, he could understand, but being _this _wrong. _Iemitsu… what the hell is wrong with you.

"_Ah! Tsu-chan, you're awake. Let me fix your breakfast."_

_Reborn turned the direction of the kitchen door where his student(?) was standing, eyeing him. And this time, he couldn't stop himself from gawking even if he tried. Throughout his entire life—especially before he became an Arcobaleno—he's met countless of gorgeous women, women whose main weapon were their beauty, but the girl standing in front of him, she was in a league of her own._

"_Let me guess, Iemitsu sent you? Wait—no, that's not right, he wouldn't even have the time to send his Dame-daughter a home tutor, now would he? So this must be Nono's idea, right?"_

_Seeing the look on her face when she mentioned her father and the fact that she called Nono, _Nono, _made Reborn realize how utterly, utterly wrong everything was. He expected to meet a student far worse than Dino, and yet, he met a girl who looks like she knows far more than what she should, he expected an average looking girl but instead, he met a goddess who looks like she's well aware of how much her looks, affects those around her, and that glint in her eyes..._

Iemitsu… just how badly did you fucked up.

_Keeping his expression neutral, Reborn regarded his student, "Ciaossu. I'm Reborn, your home tutor."_

_The girl smirked, mirth shining in her sunset-amber eyes, "I don't need one." _

_She turned to her mother without waiting for the hitman to reply, "Kaa-san, can you tell Takeshi to come to my room when he gets here. Looks like Reborn and I have a lot of things to discuss."_

_Nana tilted her head to the side in puzzlement, "You want a home tutor, Tsu-chan?"_

"_Nope," her daughter quipped, "but he seems interesting, so I'm keeping him for a bit."_

_Reborn's eyes narrowed dangerously._

"_Hmm, ok, but where would he sleep, though? Mu-kun, Ken-kun, and Chi-kun are using our guest rooms… maybe we could ask Tsuyoshi to take him in, his flyer said that he'll tutor you for free in exchange for food and a place to stay."_

_Tsuki shrugged, "He could stay in my room."_

_Nana blinked, "Eh? But he's a boy… I don't think _they_'ll be happy about this..." she trailed off worriedly._

_Reborn watched as the girl's entire personality changed from being hostile to being warm._

"_Don't worry about it, Kaa-san. He's an _infant_, I'm sure my chastity is safe," she giggled when her mother gave her a deadpanned look. She walked towards her and gave her a peck on the cheek, "Kaa-san, it's fine. I'll talk to them about this, okay?"_

_Nana sighed, "Alright, Tsu-chan__. You win."_

_Her daughter grinned at her cheekily, "Don't I always?"_

_Reborn's eyes softened as he watched the interaction between mother and daughter, his expression went back to being impassive when the girl turned to look at him._

"_Come on."_

_He let the girl pick him up and carry him to her room, jumping out of her arms as soon as the door closed._

"_Who are you?"_

_Tsuki rolled her eyes, she sat on her bed and gave the hitman an amused look, "Sawada Tsukiyomi. Didn't Iemitsu tell you that?"_

"_Hmph. You are nothing like the daughter he mentioned. I'm just making sure."_

_Tsuki threw her head back and laughed, shaking her head, she gave the hitman a genuine smile, "I like you. And since I like you, I'm going to let you in on something… I know a lot of things, Reborn, even things that I shouldn't. You were right when you said I wasn't the girl that guy mentioned. The daughter he mentioned was the daughter he _thinks _he has, the daughter he _chose_ to believe he has. Dame, stupid, clueless… but I'm not that girl…"_

_Onyx eyes locked with sunset-amber ones, "Then… who are you?"_

_The girl smirked, and the hitman, for the first time in his life, felt a chill ran up his spine._

"_Stick around, Sun Arcobaleno. And maybe you'll find out."_

* * *

In the nurse office of Namimori Chuu, a certain Storm Guardian just finished folding the last paper airplane he needed for his training. He turned to look at his tutor sleeping on one of the beds and woke him up.

"Oi! Shamal, wake up! I'm done."

"Hm?"

Shamal groggily sat up, staring at him in confusion, "Ah, you folded all paper into paper planes… what the heck are you doing?"

"Wha—!? Of course it's for training! You told me we would complete the new move!" Gokudera exclaimed, glaring angrily at the laid-back man.

"Hm? Ah, you don't need to fold any more paper planes," the man informed him offhandedly.

"What!?"

Shamal ruffled his hair, "What I mean by 'complete' is—it had a good effect already."

The Storm Guardian stared at him, stupefied, "Oi… matte! But I didn't even bring down one paper plane!"

"You still don't understand. Like I said! Strong willpower wouldn't mean so much from now on. It's the same thing with hitting on a girl," the older man explained.

Gokudera stared at him. _He's talking nonsense again…_

"Hey, do you know what the most important thing is when flirting?" the doctor asked with a teasing glint in his eyes.

Gokudera swallowed nervously, cheeks turning red as he avoided Shamal's eyes and mumbled, "Uh… well… eroticism?"

Shamal sweat dropped at the kid's naivety, "You really are a middle-schooler"—_and you even have that goddess for a boss, such a waste. _He let out a deep sigh, "It can't be helped. Look, it's here, here," he said, tapping his temple.

"To put it plainly, those guys that are unpopular did not use their brains enough. If you just use your brain and pull some tricks, there isn't a woman in this world that won't fall for it."

Gokudera stared blankly at him. _Too confident._

"Now that you understand, use your brain and write it down, don't fold paper planes anymore."

The teen slammed his fist on the desk angrily, "Can't you just get straight to the point and teach me!"

Shamal looked away, a look of amusement on his face, "There he goes again. Even if I knew the answer, I still wouldn't tell you how."

"Why!?"

"In the world you live in, only those who find their own way to survive can do so."

Gokudera gritted his teeth angrily, "Oi Teme! Stop with all your wisdom already! I don't have the time to be playing mind games with you! My match is tonight!"

"Ah, that's right. Tonight is your match, but… as long as that move isn't complete, I won't let you got to the match."

The Storm stared at him in shock, "What?"

Shamal sighed, he rested his cheek on his palm and stared at his student with a serious look on his face, "You're aware, right? That out of all Tsuki-chan's Guardians—not including the cow-child—you're the weakest."

Gokudera glared venomously at the older man.

"All of them have mastery over their Flames and an advance control over it, for their age anyway. The Rain and Cloud can infuse their Flames on their weapons, the Sun can release his in his punches, the Mist can create real illusions, and you, you could barely control yours, let alone use it for combat. And you claim to be her right-hand man, who are you trying to kid, Hayato? Do you even know what kind of a right-hand man she needs and wants?"

The kid was looking down, Shamal couldn't see his expression, but he can see the way he was clenching his fists. _Maybe I went too far…_

"Don't you think I know that…?" Hayato muttered, "Even now… I still don't know why she chose someone like me to be one of her Guardians… why she's giving me a chance to be her right-hand when she already has someone who's more competent than me… but…"

_**A year and a half ago**_

_"We have a new transfer student who was studying overseas in Italy, Gokudera Hayato."_

_The silver-haired teen looked around, searching for the girl who was supposed to lead the most powerful Famiglia in the world, eyes narrowing when he didn't see her._

That's weird... she should be in class right now…

_He was so focused on searching for her, he didn't notice a certain baseball ace staring at him._

_When the bell rang and the girl has yet to show herself, Gokudera left the room without giving the girls who flocked him any attention. Grumbling to himself, he made his way to the back of the school and pulled out a cigarette, grabbing his phone from his pocket after lighting the stick._

_"Haha. Kyoya will not be happy if he sees you smoking in school."_

_Gokudera turned to the direction of the voice, glaring at the teen smiling at him, "The fuck do you want?"_

_The black-haired teen continued to smile, "Nothing much. I just wanted to meet the new transfer student. Ah—that's right, I haven't introduced myself yet. Yamamoto Takeshi."_

_His smile didn't waver even when the other teen continued to glare venomously at him._

_"Oi Teme, do you have a death wish? Fucking scram already! Or else I'll blow you up. I'm already in a bad moon since that bitch didn't show up, so I suggest you leave before I vent my anger out on you."_

_The Italian felt his blood ran cold, looking at the smiling teen from the corner of his eyes, he swallowed nervously, feeling the tip of the blade graze the skin on his throat after the slight movement._

_"I suggest you watch what you say about her from here on out… we don't take kindly to people who insult our Sky."_

_The words were spoken casually, but Gokudera heard the unmistakable threat in his tone._

_"Takeshi."_

_The blade was gone from his throat in an instant._

_"Gomen, Tsuki."_

_Tsuki stared at the Italian with an unreadable look on her face before her attention went to the person sitting on the windowsill of the school, "A friend of yours?"_

_"Hmph. You came earlier than expected, Gokudera Hayato," Reborn turned to his student, "he's a member of the family I called over from Italy. It's my first time meeting him as well, though."_

_Gokudera stared at the hitman in awe, "So you're the world's number one hitman, Reborn."_

_Tsuki and Takeshi raised an eyebrow at the comment._

_"You're not kidding about me becoming a candidate for the successor if I kill Sawada, right?"_

_Takeshi's eyes narrowed dangerously, he let out his killing intent and warned the teen, "I wouldn't try that if I were you."_

_Reborn and Gokudera felt the intensity of his aura, the hitman's killer instinct warning him to stay clear of the kid while the silver-haired teen had to clench his fists tightly to stop them from shaking._

_Tsuki sighed, "Takeshi."_

_Said teen turned to her with a slight pout, "But Tsuki, he said he wants to kill you. Was I supposed to just take that lying down? At least I warned him, those two would have killed him instantly," he pointed out, grinning when his best friend just rolled her eyes at him in reply._

_Tsuki turned to her tutor, a look of disapproval on her face, "You shouldn't have lied to him like that, Reborn."_

_Reborn lowered the tip of his fedora to his eyes._

_"I get that you want me to start gathering my Guardians, but didn't I already tell you to let me handle that. Whose bright idea was this? Yours or _his?_"_

_Tsuki didn't wait for a reply, turning her attention to the Italian watching her, she gave him an apologetic look, "Warui. Reborn lied to you. Even if you managed to kill me, you're just going to die yourself, either by the hands of my friends, or by the hands of Vongola since you killed their last remaining legitimate heir. But if you want, I'll fight you, here and now."_

_Gokudera was lost for words, he didn't know how he was supposed to answer that. When the hitman called him and asked him to come to Japan to test the strength of Vongola's successor, he immediately agreed to do it, especially after he found out that the heir was the same age as him—and a girl to boot. He thought it was going to be easy since she was raised as a civilian, but now that he's face to face with her, he didn't know what to do._

_Tsuki raised an eyebrow when the teen continued to stare at her, "You don't want to?"_

_Gokudera looked down in discomfort, "A-Actually… I never had the desire to become Vongola Decimo… I just wanted to see if the successor has the strength to become a suitable boss…"_

"_And? Did I meet your expectation?"_

_A small smile made its way to his face, "You're much more than I expected actually. I don't need to fight you to know how strong you are. I already lost before the match even started."_

"_Hahahahaahaha."_

_Both teen turned to look at the black-haired teen clutching his stomach, tears of laughter in his eyes._

_The silver-haired teen gritted his teeth in annoyance, "Oi! What the hell are you laughing at!?"_

_Yamamoto looked at him, laughter still in his eyes, "Gomen, gomen. It's just that… Tsuki was right, you'll fit right in."_

_Reborn and Gokudera's eyes widened in shock._

"_W-What?" The teen turned to look at the girl, who was looking at the amused ace with a fond expression on her face. He suddenly felt a sense of longing for someone to look at him the same way, to have the same kind of bond the two teens have with each other._

"_Oi, Dame-Tsuki. What's he talking about?"_

_Reborn's question brought him out of his reverie, remembering what the other teen said, he also turned to the girl in confusion while trying to stop the flicker of hope from showing in his eyes._

"_Hm? Oh, that's right."_

_Gokudera felt his whole body freeze when she turned to look at him with the same fond look on her face._

"_Smokin' Bomb Hayato—iie, Gokudera Hayato, how would you like to be my Storm Guardian?"_

_Tsuki's eyes softened when the Italian fell to his knees, staring up at her with wonder in his eyes. She walked towards him and ruffled his hair._

"_Honestly, I was planning on taking you with us when we went to Italy a couple of years ago, but at that time you were still training with Shamal and you still lived with your family, and even after I found out that you ran away from home, it was around the time Federico was missing, security was tight in Italy and I couldn't risk Iemitsu finding out about..." she ignored the look Reborn was giving her, sunset-brown eyes not breaking away from shock green eyes. "I figured with Federico most likely dead, it would only be a matter of time before they decide to name me heir, so all I had to do was wait for Iemitsu—or the tutor they hire—to call and bring you here."_

_Gokudera felt his cheeks flushed when the girl smiled at him._

"_So what do you say? Want to join my family?"_

_A wide grin made its way to Tsuki's face when the Italian bowed his head._

"_I would be honored, Juudaime."_

When the teen looked up, for a brief moment, his eyes flashed red, "I refuse to fail her or the family she welcomed me into."

* * *

"Yo."

Tsuki smiled, but then she noticed that a certain teen was missing, "Where's Hayato?"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow, "Oya? I thought he'd be with you."

"Hn. I saw him leave the school with that herbivore doctor earlier."

"Maybe he was stopped by Shamal," Reborn suggested from his perch on Takeshi's shoulder, "it's impossible for Shamal to let his disciple enter a battle if there's no chance of winning."

"Does that mean his new move isn't complete yet?" Ryohei questioned.

"Probably."

Tsuki sighed, "Let's just wait for him inside."

Xanxus was leaning against the window with his arms crossed, eyes closed as he waited in boredom for her to arrive while ignoring the glances his second-in-command was sending him. He felt her presence before anything else, his eyes opened and immediately sought hers, smirking when he saw the flirty gleam in her eyes.

Four people witnessed the brief exchange between the two bosses.

Mukuro and Kyoya shared a look.

_Kufufufufu__. So that explains why her skin looks shinier than normal… you are in so much trouble, Hime-sama._

Reborn sighed.

Squalo's jaw dropped when he reached the same conclusion as Mukuro. _You've gotta be fucking shitting me!_

"So today's match is indoors…" Kyoya muttered, eyes narrowing when he realize how much damage his school was going to get.

"Tako-head isn't here yet… what the heck is he doing?" Ryohei grumbled.

"He'll come for sure," Takeshi said confidently.

Tsuki suddenly remembered something, she looked up and asked her Rain, "How did it go with Oyaji?"

The tall teen smiled, "Everything went well… he wants to talk to us and Mama, though. Does Mama know already?"

Tsuki nodded, "Aa. I went to the hospital this morning and told her everything. Oyaji was there too so they probably talked already... lunch tomorrow?"

Her Guardians nodded in agreement.

"It seems like his opponent hasn't come," Mammon voiced.

"Voi! Did he wuss out?"

Belphegor chuckled amusedly, "What's the point of running? When they lose the Ring Conflict, they'll all die anyway."

The Cervello exchanged looks, "When the clock strikes 11, Gokudera Hayato will be disqualified and Belphegor will win by default."

Both sides turned to the clock and saw that there was only 10 seconds left before 11 o'clock.

Ryohei's brows furrowed, "Not good…"

Tsuki bit her lip, watching the seconds tick by before sighing in relief when she heard the familiar sound of dynamite being thrown.

The clock exploded 2 seconds before the awaited time, Tsuki and her Guardians turned to the direction of where the dynamite came from and saw the Storm Guardian breathing heavily.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Juudaime "

Takeshi smirked, "You came."

Belphegor chuckled maniacally.

"Gokudera Hayato has arrived!" the Storm declared.

* * *

_Stronzo__ – _Asshole


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Reason to Fight! The Sky Snapped!

"Because you arrived before the arranged time, we acknowledge your qualification to participate in this match."

Hayato sighed in relief. "Good!"

"You scared us to death. Did you oversleep?" Takeshi asked, head tilted to the side in genuine confusion.

Kyoya closed his eyes and inwardly sighed.

"That's impossible!" Hayato retorted before turning to his Sky and smiling apologetically, "Gomen, Juudaime. It took some time to prepare."

Tsuki nodded in understanding, "It's fine. Is everything ok now?"

"Hai!"

"Then we will now explain the battle field," one of the Cervello started, "the battlefield for tonight is the entire third floor of the school building."

"Of course that includes the eastern building that is connected with this building as well. Not only the hallway, but all the classrooms on this floor are included."

_Good… I like a location that has a lot of obstacles_, Hayato thought, thinking about all the places he could use to his advantage.

"However..." a strong gust of wind suddenly blasted from one of the classrooms, shattering not just the door, but also the window, sending chairs and desks crashing down the pavement. "in various places in the field, we have installed this hurricane turbine…" the Cervello trailed off and began backing away nervously with her partner.

Tsuki watched in amusement as Takeshi and Ryohei attempted to stop the irate Cloud from attacking the pink-haired women.

"Maa, maa! Kyoya, calm down!"

"Kufufufufufu."

"Oi Mukuro! Stop extremely laughing and help us!"

"Teme! Stop troubling Juudaime!"

The Varia sweat dropped as they watched the other team's comical display. Xanxus was staring transfixed at his bedmate, an unknown feeling settling inside him upon seeing the fond look on her face. Tsuki felt his eyes on her, she flashed him a grin before turning her attention back to her Guardians.

"Tsuki, quit watching and do something. As their boss, it's your job to keep them in line."

"Troublesome…" she turned to the still nervous Cervello and gave them a nod. "Go on. Don't mind him, he's just sulking."

Tsuki ignored the glare her Cloud sent her and motioned for the Cervello to continue.

One of the Cervello coughed, "Right. The Hurricane Turbine has four openings used for producing wind. It's a storm device that can blow a super strong wind randomly from the four openings."

"If the wind hit you directly, it'd be possible to be blown outside!" Ryohei exclaimed.

"That's overdoing it…" Takeshi said, perturbed.

"This time, there will be a time limit on the match," the other Cervello continued.

Tsuki's eyes narrowed. _Time limit?_

"Fifteen minutes after the match begins, unless one of you has taken possession of the Ring of Storm and completed it, time bombs set in the hurricane turbines will explode in turn and completely destroy this floor."

Kyoya's eyebrow twitched, tonfas appearing in his hands, "Herbivores…"

"Don't start, Kyoya."

"Tsk," the prefect—hearing the warning in her tone—lowered his tonfas and looked away. He knew better than to disobey when his Sky was pissed.

Mismatched eyes narrowed, "So if the battle isn't settled. They'll both…"

"They'll most likely die," one of the Cervello confirmed.

The other added, "That would mean neither was worthy of being the Guardian."

"Meaning, in the worst case scenario, it would be all right to blow up the Storm Ring as well," Reborn commented. "He must be the one who thinks the Guardian Rings don't matter."

Xanxus smirked when the girl looked at him with an irritated look on her face.

"Looks like you've gotten serious."

"A death match…" Hayato smirked, anticipation shining in his eyes, "sounds fun."

"Hrm? What was that sound of windows shattering just now?"

Tsuki's eyebrow twitched. _Oh great, _he's _here._

"Is anyone hurt?" Shamal asked, wrapping both arms around the Cervello's shoulder, hands fondling each of their breasts.

No one could blame the two Cervello when they elbowed him harshly and sent him flying.

"Shamal, what are you doing here?" Tsuki asked tiredly.

"Did she say 'Shamal'?" Squalo asked.

"Trident Shamal," Mammon confirmed, "a man who was scouted by Varia two generations ago, but he refused."

"Oh! My sweet goddess!"

Xanxus' eyes narrowed dangerously when the man attempted to hug said goddess, hands itching to grab his gun and incinerate the trash who dared to touch her. Luckily for the trash, the younger Sky's Guardians were actually good for something.

"Maa, Shamal-san, what do you think you're doing?" Takeshi inquired with a smile on his face, the blade of his katana resting on the doctor's shoulder, a hairsbreadth away from his neck.

"Kufufufufufu. Aren't you a fool," Mukuro commented, trident pressed against Shamal's neck.

Kyoya and Ryohei stood as a barrier between their Sky and the pervert.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Hayato demanded.

Shamal stared sheepishly at his student, "Mind telling your fellow Guardians to spare your tutor's life?"

Hayato's eyes narrowed, "Why should I?" he asked, arms crossed on his chest.

His tutor pouted, "And here I thought I'd come here to watch your match." He breathed a sigh of relief when the dangerous weapons were finally away from his neck, "Oh, by the way, I'm on this side," the doctor said before waving at the other team. "Nice to meet you, those guys over there wearing mourning clothes."

"Oh? Shamal is on their side," Mammon mussed.

Squalo's eyes narrowed, "Dino, Colonnello, and now Shamal… why are such skilled people gathered over there... what on earth is going on? Is this all because of the Arcobaleno… or…." he trailed off, glancing at the girl standing impassively next to the Rain brat.

"But this seems like fun too… today's opponent," Belphegor said, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

"Good. Then let's start the usual before each match!" Ryohei exclaimed, getting ready to grab Hayato in case he decided to run.

"Chottomatte! We don't need to do that embarrassing shit in my match!" Hayato cried out in panic.

Tsuki pouted, "We can't? It's kind of fun, though…" she trailed off, looking at her Storm with puppy dog eyes.

Hayato swallowed nervously, eyes avoiding his boss' gaze, "O-Of course we can, Juudaime."

Takeshi, Ryohei, and Mukuro snickered.

The young Sky grinned, "Then let's do it. We are a group after all."

Hayato stared at her in amazement, "Juudaime! Let's do it! Please, let me!"

"Let this join too," Reborn said throwing something at Tsuki.

Tsuki blinked and stared at the familiar looking thing in her hand, "This is…"

"Aa. The tail that was torn off Ahoshi's clothing yesterday."

"Lambo…" Tsuki mumbled.

"Doesn't it remind you of the days when Ahoshi was still around," Reborn lamented.

Tsuki sweat dropped, "Don't say that as if he's already dead!"

"I think it's great. Let Lambo join the circle too, he always did enjoy it," Takeshi laughed, grinning at her.

"Even though he's Ahoshi, he's better than nothing," Hayato agreed.

Ryohei nodded, "He's still one of us, even if he's not here right now."

"He is in spirit," Mukuro quipped, smiling innocently at his Sky when she sent him an exasperated look.

Kyoya shook his head at his pack's herbivorousness.

"Yosh! Let's do it! Gokudera, fight!"

"Oh!"

"Oh, oh. These young ones are so embarrassing," Shamal joked.

"Now both combatants, please come to the center," the Cervello requested.

"Juudaime, I will go and fight, and as your right-hand man, I won't bring shame to you," Hayato promised.

Tsuki smiled at him, "I know."

"By the way, since today's field is so wide, we've installed video cameras in every classroom to broadcast the battle to the spectator's area."

The two sides followed the Cervello as they guided them to their specific areas where three screens were hanging from the ceiling.

Tsuki merely blinked when infrared layers separated the group from the field.

"And there are infrared layers between the spectator's area and the battle area to prevent interference to the match."

"So we can't move from here," Takeshi said.

"There're telling us not to do what we did for Lambo," Reborn stated, looking at his student from the corner of his eyes.

Tsuki huffed and ignored him, focusing on the screen showing the two combatants.

"I heard you use bombs? Well, I guess it's obvious just by looking at you..."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed when she saw the wire Belphegor planted after he patted Hayato's shoulder.

"Neh, Tsuki…"

"I know, Takeshi."

"The Ring of Storm, Belphegor vs. Gokudera Hayato. Begin the match!"

_Here I go! _Hayato threw dynamites in Belphegor's direction, jumping back when they exploded upon impact. _I'll observe the situation first. What will he do?_

His eyes widened in shock when he saw the knives surrounding him after the smoke—caused by the explosion—cleared. He jumped up, managing to avoid being pierced.

"I advise you, it's better not to play any tricks. Do you know who your opponent is?" Belphegor mocked.

_I guess I won't hold back anymore_, Hayato thought.

"Triple Bombs!"

"So he finally completed that move," Tsuki mused. She raised an eyebrow when Belphegor didn't even attempt to dodge the bombs and merely stepped back. Noticing where he was standing, she realized why. _Well, that's impressive._

Hayato's eyes widened when his bombs were blown away by the turbines. "I see. It's the machine!" he gritted his teeth in realization.

"As the Guardian of Storm, I'm sensitive to wind," Belphegor informed.

Tsuki watched her Storm dodge the random gust of wind, "He can't use bombs like that."

"But the same goes for his opponent," Shamal pointed out.

Tsuki shook her head in disagreement, "Not really…"

Shamal, Ryohei, Mukuro, and Reborn turned to look at her.

"What do you mean, Dame-Tsuki?"

Tsuki didn't answer him.

Hayato jumped back to avoid the knives heading straight for him despite the wind, crashing into the window of one of the classrooms on the floor. "Kuso! How did he do it? Was it just a fluke?"

"A prince doesn't need to rely on flukes. It is just as simple as this. Just read the air current of this strong wind in advance and quietly let the wind guide the knife towards the target."

Tsuki inwardly rolled her eyes at the so-called prince's explanation.

"Making use of a situation that was thought to be a disadvantage. He has the ability to perform this extraordinary idea perfectly… I must admit. He's unmistakably a genius," Shamal praised after the knife Belphegor released in the wind managed to cut his student.

"3 minutes have passed," the Cervello announced.

"Do you know the duty of the Guardian of Storm?" Belphegor asked. "_Continuously at the heart of the attack, the furious Storm that never rests. _I can do it, but… you can't," he mocked with a grin on his face.

"What the hell are you doing just standing there? Stop standing around like an idiot, Hayato," Shamal berated, brows furrowed in annoyance.

The match went on with Hayato dodging the barrage of knives the Varia Storm were sending him. Not finding any opportunity to counterattack, he decided to go into hiding for the time being, planting his dynamites on a wall and letting it explode so he could do just that. But even while he was hiding and Bel was in the hallway, his knives were able to reach Hayato despite not being able to see where he was.

"Didn't I tell you that hide-and-seek is my favorite? I'm a prince after all," Bel jeered, he released three knives on the wind and let the current take it, cutting Hayato deeply on his shoulder and his side.

"Why…!"

Tsuki bit her lip worriedly. _Hayato..._

"Shishishi." Bel grinned, "Is it checkmate already? Is that all you can do as a Guardian of Storm? What does this say about your boss?"

Hayato's eyes widen. _Because of me, Juudaime…_

"But that's not the case, though, is it?"

Green eyes narrowed.

"Ne, Gokudera Hayato, you're her weakest Guardian, right?" Bel goaded, "The Principessa's Sun Guardian was able to utilize his flame, her Lightning—although a useless kid—his Electric Skin was impressive, her Rain and Cloud, we haven't seen them fight, but even we know talent when we see one, the Rain is a natural born hitman and the Cloud is a violent fellow, her Mist, Mammon said he's a strong illusionist. So I guess that means it's just you who's degrading your precious boss' credibility as Vongola Boss candidate."

Hayato looked down and clenched his fists, he was biting his lip so tightly blood was starting to drip on the floor. _Fuck…_

"The hell are you on about?"

The voice of the female Sky sounded.

"Juudaime…" Hayato muttered, looking at the speaker.

"Let's get one thing straight. Not a single one of my Guardians is weak. Hayato will win, there was never any doubt about that," Tsuki announced with a smirk on her face. "After all, I'm not the only prodigy in my family."

Xanxus grinned at the girl's confidence.

"Juudaime…" Hayato rubbed his eyes with his sleeves. _She's right, not a single one of us Guardians is weak. I will definitely win. But it's impossible to stop that bastard's attacks. Think! How can he hit a target even in his blind spot?_

_Good, that's good. Even if he is a genius, his techniques will have a trick and setup_, Shamal thought, watching his student.

Tsuki grinned when she saw that her storm finally caught on. "Looks like it's time for Hayato's counterattack."

"Aa," Takeshi agreed with an anticipatory smirk.

"Bye-bye~" Bel threw at least 20 knives in the wind, intending to end the match and turn his opponent into a cactus.

Tsuki and her Guardians watched as a model of a human body was thrown out of the classroom where Hayato was hiding, knives sticking out of its body, listening as Hayato revealed the nature of his technique.

Bel grinned, "You did your best, but that's only worth about 50 points. You think you have the upper hand just because you figured it out, but…"

Hayato jumped back to avoid getting hit by the wind.

"In this kind of wind, you still can't do anything. So, what will you do?"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow when Hayato pulled out his dynamites, "But…"

Shamal grinned, "To make it so that bombs that can't hit their targets will hit. The one who gave up flirting to spend time training him… is someone who was once called a genius—that would be me," he boasted.

"It's over!" Hayato declared, throwing his dynamites in the air despite the gust of wind.

"Did you hit your head?" Bel mocked.

"Go."

The bottom of the dynamites he threw began to fire up, causing the dynamites to rocket straight to his opponent.

"I may still be lacking compared to them. But there's no way I'll ever let shame come to Juudaime," Hayato declared as he watched his dynamites explode.

"Hayato's amazing," Takeshi praised with a huge smile on his face.

Tsuki turned to Shamal, "A new technique?"

"Ah, Rocket Bombs… that's the technique he's been working on these past 6 days. Using the firing of stored propellant gunpowder to change the original trajectory twice. Originally, he was supposed to train using his Flames, but even I'm not that familiar with utilizing it, and since he didn't want to disturb your trainings, he came up with this idea after seeing my Trident Mosquito. It wasn't easy, though, especially with the limited time, but his persistence allowed him to achieve this technique," Shamal explained, a hint of pride shining in his eyes.

"Is it over?" Ryohei wondered.

Kyoya's eyes narrowed, "Iie."

Mukuro nodded in agreement, "There's no doubt that he's taken a lot of damage, but we're talking about the Varia here, they're not that easy to defeat."

"That Bel should be perfectly fine," Levi said nonchalantly.

"You're right… this is just the beginning," Mammon agreed.

Squalo winced, "This is horrifying."

Xanxus smirked.

Hayato raised an eyebrow when the windows were sliced, shattering into pieces as the smoke surrounding his opponent dissipated.

"Shishishishishi! A~ A~ A~ It's flowing out! The blood of the Royal clan!"

Hayato stared at the teen hugging himself in a crazy manner with a maniacal grin on his face. "What's going on with him…?"

"Once he sees his own blood, it begins… Prince the ripper's true skill," Mammon revealed.

Tsuki's eyes narrowed. _True skill?_

Her side listened as Mammon explained the true nature of their Storm.

Gritting her teeth, Tsuki stared at the screen, particularly at the grinning teen, "Belphegor… he's dangerous."

The two Storm continued to fight with Belphegor showing just how much of a genius he is and how dangerous he is once he's gotten serious. Hayato was almost stabbed but he managed to dodge by throwing a small dynamite between them, sending the two flying away from each other because of the explosion's impact.

"Protecting your life at the expense of a few injuries. Excellent decision, bomb brat," Squalo commended.

Hayato ran off to try and put some distance between them but Belphegor chased after him.

"The Hurricane Turbines' self-destruction will occur in 6 minutes," announced the Cervello.

Tsuki bit her lip worriedly, "Hayato…"

"Is he planning on ending the match? The library only has one entrance," Takeshi pointed out as Bel entered the library.

"Fighting Bel in a dead end? That's a stupid decision," Mammon voiced.

Belphegor kept on throwing knives at Hayato which he kept on dodging.

Tsuki's eyes widened in realization, "Shit!"

Her Guardians, Reborn, and Shamal turned to her in confusion.

Mammon smirked, "Heh, you have a keen eyesight."

Takeshi stared at the screen in disbelief, "This is bad…"

Hayato gritted his teeth, stilling his body to avoid touching the wires surrounding him. _One wrong move and I'm dead_, he thought, silver hair hiding his eyes.

Bel stood in front of the trapped teen, "Shishishi. Checkmate."

Hayato looked up and stared straight-faced at him, "For you that is."

Tsuki giggled. _That's my Storm._

The Varia watched in astonishment as the gunpowder the bomb brat scattered began acting as a fuse, detonating around him and rendering the wires trapping him useless.

"If the wires are slack, they can't cut, can they?" Hayato derided.

Takeshi grinned, "Haha. That's Hayato for you."

"Now, as for the destination of these bombs," Hayato threw his dynamites in the air, "let's use your wires as guides."

His fellow Guardians grinned/smirked.

"This is the Guardian of Storm's attack of raging waves," announced the bomber coolly. "And just to be sure. Rocket Bombs!"

"Sugoi! Tako-head!"

"Impossible…" Levi said, watching in disbelief.

"With that much hitting him, even Bel-chan is…"

"Done for," Squalo finished.

Xanxus stared impassively at the screen.

"He actually did it… isn't that something. That guy as the Guardian of Storm," Shamal commented, pride leaking in his tone.

Hayato stood over his opponent's fallen form, "It's over."

"Incorrect."

Hayato turned to the direction of the Cervello.

"We cannot accept this as a victory until you complete the Ring of Storm," she clarified.

"Obtain the two halves of the ring and complete it, please."

"Keh, so annoying," Hayato rubbed the back of his head, "guess there's no helping it." He began walking towards Bel but stopped when he felt a throb in his gut.

"Getting that dizzy from that degree of blood loss…" Shamal teased. "Come on, come on, get it over with and we'll drink a toast. Call up Bianchi-chan too."

Hayato's eyebrow twitched, "What the hell are you saying at a time like this? You perverted old man."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed, "Something's not right…"

"What do you mean, Hime-sama?" Mukuro asked looking at her in confusion.

"Bel is… I can still sense his Flames…" Tsuki said, staring at the screen, her eyes suddenly widened in panic, "Hayato!"

Xanxus raised an eyebrow. _Sense?_

Hayato gritted his teeth, punching the bastard's jaw in an attempt to get him to let go of his hold on the ring around his neck, but the prince refused.

"Is Bel still not done?" Levi wondered.

"Iie, he's probably moving under instinct to win," Mammon stated.

Lussuria stared at the screen, "Bel-chan's princely instincts to reject failure."

Tsuki's fist clenched. _Kuso…_

An explosion suddenly resounded.

"As previously stated, 15 minutes after the start of the battle, the Hurricane Turbine will begin to self-destruct in a sequential manner. The library's estimated time of destruction will arrive in about 1 minute, rest assured that the audience area will not be affected."

"Goddamn it, Xanxus!" Tsuki shouted in annoyance.

Xanxus grinned in amusement.

"What the hell are you doing, Tako-head!? Hurry up!" Ryohei demanded.

"Urusai! I'm working on it!" Hayato yelled back.

The two sides watched as the bomber struggled to take the ring from the crazy prince.

"Not good, he's losing strength due to blood loss… if it goes on like this, no good will come of it…" Shamal said, watching the screen with a serious look on his face.

"15 seconds have passed. There are 45 seconds remaining."

Squalo grinned, "So a game of chicken. Isn't that more interesting?"

"Tsuki, what should be done?" Reborn asked without turning to look at his student.

Tsuki remained silently staring at the screen, face void of emotion.

"It can't be helped," Shamal interjected. "Hand the ring over to the enemy and withdraw, Hayato!"

Hayato's eyes widened.

"To die for something like this would be idiotic! Get back here!"

"You've got to be kidding me! How can I let myself lose!?" the bomber gritted his teeth, "With 1 win and 3 losses, we'd have our backs against a wall! It would be a critical loss!"

Shamal glared at the screen, "Your opponent has already gone insane! This is no longer a match that has any meaning! Get back here!"

"How can I come back empty-handed!?" Hayato yelled back in frustration, "Someone who returns like that isn't worthy of being the right-hand man of the next boss of Vongola!"

Tsuki continued to stare blankly at the screen.

"Juudaime! If I win, we will have the advantage! Please leave it to me! For something like that... I…!"

Hayato didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he wanted to say.

"Hayato!" Takeshi yelled angrily.

"Tako-head! Come back here!"

Mukuro gritted his teeth. Kyoya glared angrily at the screen showing the herbivore dead set on dying for a herbivorous reason.

"There are 20 seconds remaining until the library's destruction."

"Hayato! Did you forget what you learned before you started training!?" Shamal yelled in a desperate attempt to stop the kid from killing himself.

"Even if die here, I won't withdraw!" Hayato declared.

"Enough!"

Hayato's eyes widen when he heard _her_ voice resonating.

"You will never belong to Vongola, Hayato."

Shamal stared at her in shock, "Oi! What are you—"

Reborn cut him off with a look.

"J… J-Juudaime…" Hayato stuttered.

"You will never belong to Vongola!" Tsuki repeated, ignoring the death glare the doctor was sending her, "Because you're _my _Storm! You're mine, Hayato!"

Hayato, the Varia, Shamal, and even Reborn's eyes widened in shock at the sudden declaration.

"Haven't I made myself clear!? I don't care about the Rings! I don't care about that fucking title! I don't care about Vongola! Have you forgotten why you're fighting!? It's to protect your family! To keep on living with your family! _That's_ why we're fighting! Not for a stupid Ring! Not for a stupid title!"

Reborn looked down to hide the smile on his face.

"You won, Hayato. _Everyone_ here knows that. So, come back already."

"Juudaime…"

The last explosion caused the screen to lose connection, not showing what happened after.

Shamal gritted his teeth, "That idiot…"

Tsuki bit her lip, waiting anxiously for the smoke to clear, almost falling on her knees in relief when she saw her Storm staggering out. She ran and threw herself at him, making him fall on his ass with her clinging to him, face buried in his chest. "Hayato…"

The rest of the Guardians followed after her.

Hayato shakily raised an arm and wrapped it around his trembling Sky, "Gomen, Juudaime… the Ring was taken, but… I came back."

"Arigato," her voice was muffled but Hayato heard her loud and clear.

"But I lost!" he protested, wincing when a certain bastard swatted him in the back of his head. "Oi! Kisama!"

Shamal and Reborn watched them from the sidelines.

"That Gokudera, he managed to stay alive in the end…"

"Aa," Shamal agreed, rubbing the back of his head, he said sheepishly, "at the very end, he showed how much he's grown. There's no way I can be arrogant enough to take credit for that. I've been completely outclassed by the goddess."

"Haha. Hayato made our Tsuki cry," Takeshi teased, grinning at the panic look on the bomber's face.

Tsuki looked up partially and glared at him, "I am not."

Ryohei hoisted her off the bomber, "I'm going to start extremely healing him, so off you go."

Tsuki pouted, "Hai, hai." She leaned against her Cloud's side and watched as Ryohei's hand began to glow.

"Takeshi… Kyoya… Mukuro…"

The three met his gaze.

"The rest is up to you guys."

Takeshi grinned, "Got it."

"Kufufufufu."

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Kyoya asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Since the Ring of the Storm was obtained by Belphegor. The victor of the match is the Varia," the Cervello declared.

Squalo grinned, "Voooiiiii. What a laughable ending. Your lives are hanging by a hair!"

Tsuki nudged her Rain aside and stood in front of the Varia, "Yup. You're right, the ending of this match _and _last night's match is laughable," she smirked, "I mean, despite how both match ended, you guys are holding the rings, but even you guys know, right? Pride and all that shit."

The Varia members gritted their teeth. Xanxus was staring at her impassively.

"I'll admit, though, I was planning on handing over the Lighting Ring, but Iemitsu interfered, so I guess we could say that that ring technically belong to you guys. The Sky Ring, that was my fault, of course, and the Storm Ring… well," Tsuki trailed off, smiling innocently at the pissed off Varia. "You people can have your precious rings… but we all know who the _real_ winners are. After all, that worshiper over there lost to Lambo, and that kid, is a thousand times better than him in terms of being the Lightning Guardian, the only reason why he won was because of the limited time of the Bazooka."

If looks could kill, Tsuki would be dead with how hard the Lightning Varia was glaring at her. She gave him a mocking grin in return, "Oh, come on, Levi-chan, I'm sure you—of all people—remember how pathetic you were last night. You can wear the Ring that symbolizes you as the Lightning Guardian, but remember this, every time you look at that Ring on your finger, know that you will _never _live up to its title because there's only one person in this world who's worthy of it, and you're not it."

"You fucking bitch!" Levi made a move to attack her, but the girl sent a powerful blast on the side, incinerating—not just the windows, but also the wall, creating a huge hole on the side of the building.

"I'm not done talking," Tsuki informed him with a dangerous smile on her face. "Now, where was I? Hmm—ah, Sky Ring. Well, I accept full responsibility for that. Belphegor can shove the Storm Ring up his ass. You people may have the Rings, but come on, whether you admit it or not... _we _won."

She grinned cheekily at Xanxus, "I might have been the one who had sex with you…" ignoring the looks her revelation received, she nodded towards the Cervello, "but those two over there... are the ones licking your balls."

"Juu… -daime… what…"

Tsuki turned to her Guardians and raised an amused eyebrow, "What? It's not like you guys weren't expecting it. You know me better than anyone."

Takeshi groaned, "We were actually _praying _that you wouldn't act on it!"

"You're a pain, Hime-sama. How in six hells are we supposed to protect you from the enemies? When you're literally sleeping with the enemy," Mukuro complained, glaring at her.

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "I don't need protection, especially not from _him_," she smirked at the Varia Sky, "it's not like I'm the only one enjoying that particular arrangement."

An amused smirk spread across the man's face, "Hn."

The younger Sky winked at him before turning back to her irate Guardians, "Trust me, I can handle him. Me sleeping with Xanxus won't change _anything. _If it did, we wouldn't have reached this stage of the Ring Conflict."

Her Guardians (sans one particular Guardian) sighed in defeat.

"And regarding this Ring Conflict… well, I've reached my limit," Tsuki tilted her head to the side, eyes staring impassively at the Varia. "Kyoya, Takeshi, Mukuro..."

Mukuro grinned wickedly, "Oya, oya? Does that mean…?"

Tsuki smirked, "To kill or to let them live. Do whatever you want."

Hayato sighed, "Great. Two of the most violent Guardians and the one who was born a natural killer, are given free reign over their match. Sounds like the beginning of a bad reality show."

"Maa, maa."

The Varia narrowed their eyes.

The Cervello, who has been watching quietly from the sidelines, coughed. "We will now announce the match-up for the next battle. Tomorrow night's battle will be…"

"The battle between the Guardians of Rain."

The two combatants smirked.

"I've been waiting for this moment. I can finally have some real fun! Don't you dare run away just because you remembered the overwhelming difference in strength from last time, katana brat," Squalo taunted.

Takeshi grinned and shrugged, "Not like I had a choice. Kyoko, Haru, and the kids were there so we couldn't move that much, but don't worry," a dangerous look appeared on the tall teen's eyes, "Tsuki said I can go all out. I'm so excited. I won't be able to sleep."

Squalo gritted his teeth, "Why you little—"

"Alright. That's enough excitement for one night," Kyoya interrupted, ignoring the glare the man sent him, he turned to the Cervello, "all the damages in my school better be gone before the next match begins, or else…" he left the threat hanging.

Both Cervello swallowed and nodded, "Hai."

Tsuki stilled when gray eyes landed on her, fighting down the urge to hide behind her Rain Guardian.

"Small Animal… you and I are going to have a talk."

The Cloud Guardian didn't wait for a reply, turning around, he began walking off with Tsuki following behind him reluctantly.

Takeshi winced, "I've never seen Kyoya so pissed off…"

Ryohei shrugged, "Anything that extremely concerns Sawada tends to have that kind of effect on him."

Squalo looked at his boss from the corner of his eyes, surprised to see the dark look on his face and his scars threatening to emerge. _Voi, is he actually..._

"Let's go."

The Varia Boss jumped off the damaged window without waiting for his subordinates.

"If Squalo wins tomorrow, the Conflict will be over," Mammon stated.

"And it will be your end," Levi finished before following after his boss.

Takeshi smirked, "_If _he wins~"

Squalo smirked back, "We'll see, mata ne."

Ryohei stood and helped Hayato up, "Sate, we should leave too."

Takeshi nodded, "Aa."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Xanxus and Tsuki! The Rain! And the Parents' Terms!

Tsuki followed her irate Cloud to the DC office. Sitting timidly on the couch, she forced herself to calm down before looking at him.

"Kyoya—"

"What were you thinking?" the prefect interrupted, gray eyes staring intently at her.

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I was thinking… I needed a distraction, Xanxus was there. That's all there is to it."

They stared at each other for a minute, both with a blank look on their face.

The older teen scoffed and gave her a look, "Distraction? If you needed distraction, you should have come to me, Herbivore."

Tsuki pursed her lips, "Don't say it like that," she complained, "you're making it sound like there's something going on between us."

Kyoya rolled his eyes at his Sky, "You know what I mean. Quit stalling and tell me the truth, or I'll bite you to death."

She leaned back and stared at the ceiling, "The truth is…"

* * *

Xanxus was lying on the soft grass of the clearing, a knee bent and an arm supporting the back of his head, eyes closed as if he was in a deep sleep, but Tsuki could tell that he was awake.

"Does your master know you're here?"

Sunset-amber eyes narrowed at the mocking question, she flopped down and straddled his chest, causing one eye to open and glare at her.

"What are you talking about?"

The older man scoffed, closing his eye again, he ignored the finger drawing circles on his neck, "I'm surprised the Cloud trash allowed you to come here." His eyes opened when her hand wrapped around his neck, squeezing ever so slowly.

Tsuki barely acknowledged the gun pointed at her sternum. Leaning down until her face was inches from the man beneath her, she said in a dangerous tone, "No one allows me to do shit. I don't need to ask anyone's permission to do what I want."

"Really?" Xanxus mocked, "You seemed awfully like a dog following her master when—" he grunted when the hand around his neck tightened.

Tsuki wondered if she could snap his neck faster than he could pull the trigger. Glaring down at the man, she noticed the way he was glaring at her and realized something.

"You're jealous."

Xanxus pushed the girl off him and stood, eyes blazing angrily as he stared down at the girl staring up at him in amusement. He pointed his glowing gun at her head, "Why the fuck would I be? You're just a toy I use to satisfy my needs, a toy I can disregard whenever I want."

Tsuki ignored the sudden twinge in her chest and instead, gave the man a leveled look, "Toy, huh? Well, if that's the case," she stood and crossed her arms to her chest, "don't start acting like a jealous lover," shaking her head, she turned her back to the older man and began walking off. "I'm not anyone's toy, Xanxus. Go find the Cervello and have them satisfy your needs. I'm sure they'll be more than willing to become your toy. I'll find someone else to distract me."

Xanxus saw red at her statement. Tsuki turned and sent a punch in his jaw before he could grab her wrist—which the man managed to evade.

She took a step back and glared, "What now?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to fucking tell me what to do?" the Varia Boss hissed.

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "Whatever," she muttered before turning around, "do whatever you want."

She suddenly found herself pressed against the grass with Xanxus locking her wrists behind her, she threw her head back instinctively, nailing him on the chin.

"Fuck! Damn brat!"

He pulled her head back and crashed his mouth on hers, shoving his tongue inside and ignoring her attempts to pull away. Tsuki bit down harshly, smirking when the man jerked back, using the opportunity to shove him off her.

The older Sky looked up and stared at the girl, red eyes blazing with lust, he wiped the blood off his chin and stood. Loosening his tie, he threw his Varia jacket behind him and began unbuttoning his shirt while slowly making his way to the panting girl.

Tsuki's eyes widened in shock when the shirtless man wrapped an arm around her waist, she felt his fingers scrape her scalp, grunting when the man pulled her hair back in order to tilt her head up, shivering when the man licked at her lips.

"Why would I play with other toys when I have a perfectly good one right here?" Xanxus drawled, smirking when the girl glared at him murderously.

"I am not a fucking toy, _coglione_," the younger Sky hissed, digging her nails on his biceps, she attempted to push the man off, but the asshole held tight. "Let me go!"

He gave her hair another tug, "I have no intention of playing with anyone else. As long as we're involved, I have no need for other toys."

Raising an eyebrow when the brat stopped struggling, he wasn't all the surprised when he found himself on his ass with her straddling him. He leaned an arm back lazily and met the girl's lips, grunting in approval when she caressed his bruised tongue with her own.

Tsuki pulled away, using one hand to unbuckle his belt while grabbing his jaw with the other, she stared into his red eyes that was begging to glow, running her thumb along his lower lip before pushing it inside his lips, grinning when the man bit down on it, "Screw it," she watched him licked at her hand, eyes completely glowing with his Flames, "use me as your toy... and have as much fun as you want," pulling her hand away from him, she grabbed him by his hair and exposed his neck, "but…" leaning down, she sank her teeth on his neck and gripped his erection, enjoying the sound of the Varia Boss groaning in pleasure. She pulled back and licked the bruise soothingly, "I get to do the same thing."

Xanxus shivered when glowing eyes met his, unable to stop himself from watching intently as she started licking her way down his body, growling deep in his throat when the vixen dipped her tongue on his navel, he glared at her when she grinned cheekily at him, "_Stuzzicare_."

The little vixen proved just how much of a tease she could be by slowly unzipping his pants with her teeth, shaking her head when his erection sprung free, she asked with a hint of exasperation, "Commando? Really?"

Xanxus shrugged, "You're going to take it off anyway," he said lazily, pulling the girl up to give her a smack on the lips before shoving her head back down. "Get on with it."

Tsuki licked the head of his erection before taking him inside her mouth and sucking, stroking the rest that couldn't fit. Xanxus watched fixated as the girl's head bobbed up and down his dick, licking his lips when she met his gaze and gave his length a sensual lick without breaking eye contact. He placed a hand on her head and threw his head back, breathing heavily when she started increasing her pace.

She inwardly smirked at the Varia Boss' action, pulling her head away, she began stroking his dick, tightening her grip in the way she knew he enjoyed. She might have only started doing this the night before, but she's always been a fast learner, grinning to herself, she relaxed her throat before taking his entire length inside her mouth, making sure to scrape her teeth against the sensitive skin when she slowly released him.

"Fuck. That's enough," Xanxus growled out, tugging at her hair.

Tsuki smirked and licked the precum that was beginning to leak out, "Why?" she teased, kissing her way up his body until she reached his lips, "Weren't you enjoying yourself?"

Xanxus pressed their forehead together and stared straight into glowing eyes, "I want a taste too."

Tsuki's already flushed cheeks flushed even more at the smoldering look the other boss was giving her, coupled with the fact that his eyes were literally glowing, she couldn't help but moan, "You're too damn hot for your own good."

Xanxus grinned, "Are you trying to feed my ego?" He pulled her shirt off and threw it somewhere behind him, kissing her flat stomach as he proceeded to strip off her bra. "Stand up."

"Not really," she answered after complying, threading her fingers through black spiky hair, she watched him remove her boots, biting her bottom lip when he started pulling down her shorts along with her underwear, leaving her completely bare standing in front of him.

The Varia Boss smirked, eyes not leaving hers, he placed one knee over his shoulder, nipping at her thighs teasingly before giving her slit a throughout lick. He flicked his tongue against her clit, grunting at the familiar sweet taste that invaded his taste buds, he flicked his tongue a couple more times before taking her entire clit in his mouth and giving it a sharp suck. He relished the sound of her moaning his name and the fingers gripping his hair, he began lapping up her folds, thumb circling her clit in a crazy manner that had the girl mewling in pleasure.

Tsuki looked down and shivered at the glowing hazy eyes staring up at her, unable to look away as the older man's tongue continued doing wonders between her legs. She shakingly pulled his head away from her and unhooked her leg, "I need you."

Xanxus pulled her down for a kiss, rolling her tongue with his and making her taste herself, he pulled away and asked, "How do you want it?" Stroking his dick and smirking when her eyes immediately followed his movement, his smirk widening when the vixen licked her lips and went down on all fours, her opening in full view. He wasted no time in plunging his entire length inside her, groaning at how tight she feels around him, "Still so fucking tight."

The younger boss moaned loudly, forehead pressed against the soft grass as the man vigorously pounded into her, whimpering when he pulled back and rubbed his head against her opening, "Xanxus, you asshole! Stop teasing!"

Said asshole leaned down and started mouthing her back, "_Perché? Ti stai godendo, non sei tu?_"

Tsuki looked back and glared at him through half-lidded eyes, "_No non sono!_"

"Then tell me, Vasílissa," he pushed the head of his erection to her opening, pulling away when the girl pushed back. Chuckling, he pressed his mouth against hers. "_Dimmi che vuoi il mio cazzo dentro di te._"

She grabbed the man by the back of his head, leaning her head back to whisper against his ear, "_Scopami. Voglio il tuo cazzo dentro di me, Xanxus._"

Xanxus growled and slammed his dick inside her, pushing her upper body down by the back of her neck as he fucked her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, fingers playing with her clit. Tsuki's entire body was shaking with pleasure, purposely squeezing her walls around him, she moaned loudly at the sensation. The older of the two wasn't able to stop the groan from escaping him, gritting his teeth, he pulled both her arms behind her and rammed into her so roughly, both were sure she'd have a hard time walking properly after they finished.

"Xanxus!" she moaned loudly, knowing how much this affects the older man. Xanxus continued ramming into her, his hands gripping her wrists as he pulled her to him just as roughly.

Tsuki screamed his name as her orgasm hit her, flooding the organ still moving inside her. Xanxus grunted as he released his load inside her, his body shuddering as her walls milked him dry. He pulled out of her and watched as both their come trickled out of her opening, smirking when she let her body flop down in exhaustion.

The younger Sky silently watched as he pulled his pants off completely, lying on her back, her arms automatically wrapping itself around his neck when he got on top of her. Meeting his lips halfway, they made out until it was necessary to pull back for air. Tsuki suddenly remembered something. Xanxus eyed the woman smiling sweetly at him, eyes narrowing warily when she pressed a hand against his cheek, and before he could even blink, his head snapped to the side.

She grinned innocently at the man gaping at her, feeling so proud of herself for putting that look on his face. She caressed his stinging cheek before giving it a lick, laying her head back down, she told him with a dangerous glint in her eyes, "That was for almost getting my Storm killed."

Tsuki watched with interest as different emotions flashed in Xanxus' eyes, actually curious about how the man was going to retaliate, she was a bit surprised when he only smirked.

"You really are something, Vasílissa."

"Huh," sucking the finger the man pressed inside her mouth, she gave it a nip before pulling it out, "that wasn't the reaction I was expecting."

Xanxus gave her an amused look, licking the finger she sucked on, he leaned down and pressed their foreheads together, "You'll get the reaction you're expecting on our match. I don't plan on harming you until then."

Tsuki pouted, "Well, there goes my grand plan," she quipped, running a finger down his cheek, she let it rest on his throat and pressed lightly at his Adam's apple, she said sarcastically, "I thought by sleeping with you, you'd go easy on me."

Xanxus scoffed, "Going easy on you was never in my agenda, if you die during our match. Well, that'd be a fucking shame."

"I'm not going to die, Xanxus."

He smirked at her confidence, pecking her lips, he nibbled at her bottom lip, "It's not going to be a choice."

She gripped his hair, "I will always have a choice," she mumbled against his lips. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she rubbed herself against him, effectively ending their conversation and starting a new round.

"_The truth is... Xanxus and I are both fighting for the same thing. That's the only truth there is. He and I… we're both playing with fire and it'll only be a matter of time before one of us burns._"

* * *

Takeshi was lying on his back, eyes staring up at the ceiling of his family's dojo with both his arms supporting his head.

**_6 and half years ago_**

_Yamamoto Takeshi was 7-year-old when he first met Sawada Tsukiyomi. He saw her around Namimori Elementary School, they were also in the same class, but he has never talked to her. She was always by herself, never talking to anyone, doing things on her own, disappearing right after the bell rang, she was just a classmate whose grades were almost as bad as his. But one day, he began to see her in a different light._

_He was 8-year-old and was about to head home after finishing his cleaning duties when he saw her (more like she ran pass him and he followed after her out of curiosity), he almost lost her too but luckily, he found her, only she wasn't alone._

_"We finally caught up to you," one of the older boys said._

_"Hibari Kyoya's little pet," another one taunted._

Pet?_ Takeshi thought._

_"What do you want?"_

_Takeshi was surprised with how calm she was despite being surrounded by at least 5 older delinquents._

_"Akagi, just grab her and let's go," the one who looked like the ringleader ordered._

_Takeshi was about to run and help her, but he stopped when he saw the scene in front of him. _Wow...

_He watched in amazement as his classmate knocked the delinquents out. "Sugoi!"_

_Tsuki's head snapped to his direction, "Ya-Yamamoto-kun… how long have you…"_

_He grinned while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Haha… umm, I saw the whole thing. Gomen, I didn't mean to pry, but Tsuki-chan that was amazing! You were all bam bam and then you babam them!"_

_A smile small made its way to the girl's face as she listened to the tall kid retelling the event in his own weird way. She breathed out a sigh when she saw a certain kid making his way towards them, "Kyoya-san."_

_Takeshi's eyes slightly widened, "Tsuki-chan, you know him?" _And she's on first name basis with him too.

_The name Hibari Kyoya was slowly becoming infamous in Namimori, the 9-year-old kid's habit of biting those who he deems as herbivores to death has been building his reputation, and the fact that his sweet-looking classmate—the one who looked like she couldn't even hurt a fly, was calling him by his first name (and he's letting her), made Takeshi even more curious about her._

_Tsuki nodded, "Un, he's… a friend, right?" she turned to his direction with a slight pout, wincing when he thumped her head in reply._

_"Hn." Kyoya ignored the pout of the Small Animal and instead, opted to turn his attention to the herbivore watching them with a stupefied look, "Herbivore, why are you here?"_

_Takeshi blinked before a huge smile spread across his face, "Haha. See I was on my way home but then Tsuki ran pass me. I was curious so I followed her—Itai!" he rubbed his sore head, wincing when he felt a bump beginning to form, "What was that for?"_

_"For sticking your nose to where it doesn't belong," was the older kid's reply. He stared at the delinquents lying on the ground and gave Tsuki an impressed look, "Wao, you've improved, Small Animal."_

_Tsuki blushed and gave him a big smile, "Thanks."_

_"Ne, ne. Are you two close?" Takeshi wondered._

_"Hmm? I guess so. Kyoya-san is training me so I can defend myself and he's nice to me too... in his own carnivorous way…"_

_Takeshi's head tilted to the side, "Training? Defend? Defend yourself from?"_

_Tsuki opened her mouth to answer, but Kyoya cut her off._

_"You ask too many questions, Herbivore."_

_Said herbivore grinned, "Well, I want to be friends with you guys so of course I'll ask questions, and besides…" he made his way towards Tsuki and wrapped an arm around her small shoulder, grinning down at her flushed face, "I want to help protect her too. Isn't that what you're doing, Hibari?"_

_Tsuki watched the two stare at each other, blinking in surprise when the older kid smirked._

_"Hn. How are you planning on doing that?"_

_Takeshi thought about it for a moment before snapping his fingers when he remembered something, "My Oyaji knows how to use a katana! I'll ask him to train me."_

_Kyoya raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Is that so? Small Animal…"_

_Tsuki turned to him, "Hm?"_

_"What do you think?"_

_She pouted and crossed her arms to her chest, "I don't need protection."_

_Takeshi frowned, he pulled his arm off her, thinking that she doesn't like him, but the smaller girl grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together._

_"I don't need protection. I'm training so that I can be strong enough to protect myself, but…" she gave him a bright smile that made his cheeks flushed, "I do want to be your friend, though."_

_Takeshi smiled back just as brightly, "Watashi wa Yamamoto Takeshi, you two can call me Takeshi."_

_"And you can call me Tsuki, without the -chan."_

_Kyoya sighed in defeat, "You better not be an herbivore, Herbivore," he warned before turning around and walking off. "Let's go, I want to see how good of a swordsman your father is."_

_Takeshi rubbed the back of his head in confusion, "What?"_

_Tsuki giggled and began pulling him, "Come on. You'll get used to Kyoya-speaking in no time."_

_His father was surprised when he introduced his new friends, but he was even more surprised when he said that he wanted to learn how to use a sword. After hearing his reason as to why he wanted to learn, Tsuyoshi agreed. He also welcomed his son's friends with open arms, treating them like they were his own and doting on the two—especially the little girl deprived of a father's love—like how he dotes on his own son, and before long, their family of two became bigger._

"Takeshi?"

The teen was pulled out of his musing, sitting up, he turned to her direction and smiled, "Yo, Tsuki," his head tilted to the side when he noticed that she was alone. "Where's everyone?"

Tsuki sat beside him and answered, "In the shop, helping Oyagi deal with the last remaining costumers, well Hayato and Onii-san are, Kyoya is taking a nap in your room, Mukuro's helping Okaa-san with the dishes..."

Takeshi nodded and smiled softly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he soothed her worries, "I'm going to be fine, Tsuki."

Tsuki pouted in annoyance, "You're creepy. I didn't even say anything."

The taller teen laughed, "I _know_ you. I haven't forgotten what Dino said, but I'm not going to lose. I'm going to beat the second-in-command of Varia _and _the Sword Emperor. I promise."

"Hmmm," she leaned against him and smiled softly, "I don't doubt that. Still though, be careful, his titles aren't just for show."

"Aa," Takeshi agreed. "So… you survived Kyoya."

Tsuki pulled away from him and met his gaze, "Out with it. I know he's not the only one who wants to say something."

"What's really going on between you and Xanxus?" he asked with a serious look on his face.

"Eh?"

"Tsuki, a lot of guys would kill to have a chance with you, and you're not the kind of girl who sleeps with a guy just for the heck of it. So why Xanxus? Why did you give _him_ your virginity?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Tsuki admitted, "I told Reborn and Kyoya that it was because I needed a distraction, and that's the truth…"

"Not the whole truth, though," the black haired teen pointed out, "if it was just for distraction, you could have chosen someone else, and you wouldn't have chosen that kind of distraction unless you really…"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Wanted him? Unless I was attracted to him?"

Takeshi nodded, "What do you really feel about him?"

"OI DAME-TSUKI! YAKYU-BAKA! MAMA SAID IT'S LUNCH TIME!"

"Lambo, you didn't have to shout."

"Lambo, loud."

Both teens stood and walked towards the three kids.

Takeshi bent down and picked the cow-child up, "Lambo, you shouldn't be moving too much, you were just released this morning," he chided.

Lambo crossed his arms to his chest petulantly, "Lambo-san is strong. Lambo-san doesn't need rest."

Tsuki rolled her eyes fondly, "Hai, hai."

The two teens led the kids out of the dojo and began making their way to the restaurant.

"Takeshi."

"Hm?"

"I don't know. And honestly, I'm not ready to find out."

* * *

"Fuuta-kun, Lambo-kun, I-pin-chan, why don't you three go upstairs and watch some cartoons" Tsuyoshi suggested.

"I'll go with them, Papa," Biachi volunteered, picking Lambo up in her arms and motioning for the two kids to follow her.

"Arigato, Bianchi," he gave her a grateful smile and waited until they were out of earshot. "Sate. Let's start this family meeting."

He sat down beside Nana and gave his kids a look, "Nana and I, we want you guys to stay out of the Mafia and live a normal life, but there's really nothing we can do. I know that world, I _lived _in that world, they'll chase you down no matter where you hide. And the fact that Tsuki is a legitimate heir to the most powerful Family in the world, makes it even more impossible to leave."

Nana wrung her hands together anxiously, "We want to protect you kids from—as much as possible—everything, but like Tsuyoshi said, we can't protect you kids from this. So we decided to trust you guys because we know, we're confident that you will protect each other no matter what."

"Of course, Mama! We will protect Juudaime with our lives!" Hayato declared confidently. He ducked down to avoid the chopsticks the older Yamamoto threw at him.

"You baka! I said protect _each other_! Not just Tsuki," Tsuyoshi scolded. "My little girl can take care of herself, you all can take care of yourselves, but I want you guys to protect yourself _and_ each other. That's one of our terms."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow, "Oya? One of?"

Nana nodded in agreement, "Un. Our second term is, from now on, you guys will tell us _everything_, no matter what it is, you will tell us. We want to know everything."

"Next, no more hiding things from us, or at least if you guys want to hide something, do it properly."

Nana gave him a look before addressing her children, "Don't attempt to hide anything from us, we're your parents, so we would know if you guys are hiding something."

Tsuyoshi crossed his arms to his chest and nodded, "Right. Our next term is, we want you guys to believe that we can handle it, whatever bomb it is, whatever truth it is. We. Can. Handle. It."

"And lastly, know that we will always be here, _always_. You guys will always be our babies, so we will do _everything _and _anything _for you guys, even if you don't want us to." Nana stared at them, "Now, if you guys agree to all our terms, then go ahead and win this Ring Conflict. We'll have a feast after it."

"Oh, before I forget. Promise us that you will always be safe," Tsuyoshi added.

Tsuki smiled softly, "I promise, Okaa-san, Oyaji."

"Me too! Mama, Oyaji," Takeshi said with a big smile on his face.

Hayato coughed and discreetly wiped the tear that was threatening to fall, "_Lo prometto_, Mama, Oyaji."

"Extreme promise! Mama! Oyaji!"

"Kufufufufu. I as well, Mama, Oyaji."

Kyoya nodded, "Aa."

"Kyo-kun," Nana pouted.

The prefect sighed in defeat, "I promise. Mama, Oyaji."

Tsuyoshi and Nana smiled.

* * *

_Coglione_ \- Fucker

_Stuzzicare_ \- Tease

_Perché? Ti stai godendo, non sei tu?_ \- Why? You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?

_No non sono!_ \- No I'm not!

_Dimmi che vuoi il mio cazzo dentro di te_ \- Tell me you want my cock inside you.

_Scompami. Voglio il tuo cazzo dentro di me_ \- Fuck me. I want your cock inside me.

_Lo prometto -_ I promise

Chapter 6: Xanxus and Tsuki! The Rain! And the Parents' Terms!

Tsuki followed her irate Cloud to the DC office. Sitting timidly on the couch, she forced herself to calm down before looking at him.

"Kyoya—"

"What were you thinking?" the prefect interrupted, gray eyes staring intently at her.

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I was thinking… I needed a distraction, Xanxus was there. That's all there is to it."

They stared at each other for a minute, both with a blank look on their face.

The older teen scoffed and gave her a look, "Distraction? If you needed distraction, you should have come to me, Herbivore."

Tsuki pursed her lips, "Don't say it like that," she complained, "you're making it sound like there's something going on between us."

Kyoya rolled his eyes at his Sky, "You know what I mean. Quit stalling and tell me the truth, or I'll bite you to death."

She leaned back and stared at the ceiling, "The truth is…"

* * *

Xanxus was lying on the soft grass of the clearing, a knee bent and an arm supporting the back of his head, eyes closed as if he was in a deep sleep, but Tsuki could tell that he was awake.

"Does your master know you're here?"

Sunset-amber eyes narrowed at the mocking question, she flopped down and straddled his chest, causing one eye to open and glare at her.

"What are you talking about?"

The older man scoffed, closing his eye again, he ignored the finger drawing circles on his neck, "I'm surprised the Cloud trash allowed you to come here." His eyes opened when her hand wrapped around his neck, squeezing ever so slowly.

Tsuki barely acknowledged the gun pointed at her sternum. Leaning down until her face was inches from the man beneath her, she said in a dangerous tone, "No one allows me to do shit. I don't need to ask anyone's permission to do what I want."

"Really?" Xanxus mocked, "You seemed awfully like a dog following her master when—" he grunted when the hand around his neck tightened.

Tsuki wondered if she could snap his neck faster than he could pull the trigger. Glaring down at the man, she noticed the way he was glaring at her and realized something.

"You're jealous."

Xanxus pushed the girl off him and stood, eyes blazing angrily as he stared down at the girl staring up at him in amusement. He pointed his glowing gun at her head, "Why the fuck would I be? You're just a toy I use to satisfy my needs, a toy I can disregard whenever I want."

Tsuki ignored the sudden twinge in her chest and instead, gave the man a leveled look, "Toy, huh? Well, if that's the case," she stood and crossed her arms to her chest, "don't start acting like a jealous lover," shaking her head, she turned her back to the older man and began walking off. "I'm not anyone's toy, Xanxus. Go find the Cervello and have them satisfy your needs. I'm sure they'll be more than willing to become your toy. I'll find someone else to distract me."

Xanxus saw red at her statement. Tsuki turned and sent a punch in his jaw before he could grab her wrist—which the man managed to evade.

She took a step back and glared, "What now?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to fucking tell me what to do?" the Varia Boss hissed.

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "Whatever," she muttered before turning around, "do whatever you want."

She suddenly found herself pressed against the grass with Xanxus locking her wrists behind her, she threw her head back instinctively, nailing him on the chin.

"Fuck! Damn brat!"

He pulled her head back and crashed his mouth on hers, shoving his tongue inside and ignoring her attempts to pull away. Tsuki bit down harshly, smirking when the man jerked back, using the opportunity to shove him off her.

The older Sky looked up and stared at the girl, red eyes blazing with lust, he wiped the blood off his chin and stood. Loosening his tie, he threw his Varia jacket behind him and began unbuttoning his shirt while slowly making his way to the panting girl.

Tsuki's eyes widened in shock when the shirtless man wrapped an arm around her waist, she felt his fingers scrape her scalp, grunting when the man pulled her hair back in order to tilt her head up, shivering when the man licked at her lips.

"Why would I play with other toys when I have a perfectly good one right here?" Xanxus drawled, smirking when the girl glared at him murderously.

"I am not a fucking toy, _coglione_," the younger Sky hissed, digging her nails on his biceps, she attempted to push the man off, but the asshole held tight. "Let me go!"

He gave her hair another tug, "I have no intention of playing with anyone else. As long as we're involved, I have no need for other toys."

Raising an eyebrow when the brat stopped struggling, he wasn't all the surprised when he found himself on his ass with her straddling him. He leaned an arm back lazily and met the girl's lips, grunting in approval when she caressed his bruised tongue with her own.

Tsuki pulled away, using one hand to unbuckle his belt while grabbing his jaw with the other, she stared into his red eyes that was begging to glow, running her thumb along his lower lip before pushing it inside his lips, grinning when the man bit down on it, "Screw it," she watched him licked at her hand, eyes completely glowing with his Flames, "use me as your toy... and have as much fun as you want," pulling her hand away from him, she grabbed him by his hair and exposed his neck, "but…" leaning down, she sank her teeth on his neck and gripped his erection, enjoying the sound of the Varia Boss groaning in pleasure. She pulled back and licked the bruise soothingly, "I get to do the same thing."

Xanxus shivered when glowing eyes met his, unable to stop himself from watching intently as she started licking her way down his body, growling deep in his throat when the vixen dipped her tongue on his navel, he glared at her when she grinned cheekily at him, "_Stuzzicare_."

The little vixen proved just how much of a tease she could be by slowly unzipping his pants with her teeth, shaking her head when his erection sprung free, she asked with a hint of exasperation, "Commando? Really?"

Xanxus shrugged, "You're going to take it off anyway," he said lazily, pulling the girl up to give her a smack on the lips before shoving her head back down. "Get on with it."

Tsuki licked the head of his erection before taking him inside her mouth and sucking, stroking the rest that couldn't fit. Xanxus watched fixated as the girl's head bobbed up and down his dick, licking his lips when she met his gaze and gave his length a sensual lick without breaking eye contact. He placed a hand on her head and threw his head back, breathing heavily when she started increasing her pace.

She inwardly smirked at the Varia Boss' action, pulling her head away, she began stroking his dick, tightening her grip in the way she knew he enjoyed. She might have only started doing this the night before, but she's always been a fast learner, grinning to herself, she relaxed her throat before taking his entire length inside her mouth, making sure to scrape her teeth against the sensitive skin when she slowly released him.

"Fuck. That's enough," Xanxus growled out, tugging at her hair.

Tsuki smirked and licked the precum that was beginning to leak out, "Why?" she teased, kissing her way up his body until she reached his lips, "Weren't you enjoying yourself?"

Xanxus pressed their forehead together and stared straight into glowing eyes, "I want a taste too."

Tsuki's already flushed cheeks flushed even more at the smoldering look the other boss was giving her, coupled with the fact that his eyes were literally glowing, she couldn't help but moan, "You're too damn hot for your own good."

Xanxus grinned, "Are you trying to feed my ego?" He pulled her shirt off and threw it somewhere behind him, kissing her flat stomach as he proceeded to strip off her bra. "Stand up."

"Not really," she answered after complying, threading her fingers through black spiky hair, she watched him remove her boots, biting her bottom lip when he started pulling down her shorts along with her underwear, leaving her completely bare standing in front of him.

The Varia Boss smirked, eyes not leaving hers, he placed one knee over his shoulder, nipping at her thighs teasingly before giving her slit a throughout lick. He flicked his tongue against her clit, grunting at the familiar sweet taste that invaded his taste buds, he flicked his tongue a couple more times before taking her entire clit in his mouth and giving it a sharp suck. He relished the sound of her moaning his name and the fingers gripping his hair, he began lapping up her folds, thumb circling her clit in a crazy manner that had the girl mewling in pleasure.

Tsuki looked down and shivered at the glowing hazy eyes staring up at her, unable to look away as the older man's tongue continued doing wonders between her legs. She shakingly pulled his head away from her and unhooked her leg, "I need you."

Xanxus pulled her down for a kiss, rolling her tongue with his and making her taste herself, he pulled away and asked, "How do you want it?" Stroking his dick and smirking when her eyes immediately followed his movement, his smirk widening when the vixen licked her lips and went down on all fours, her opening in full view. He wasted no time in plunging his entire length inside her, groaning at how tight she feels around him, "Still so fucking tight."

The younger boss moaned loudly, forehead pressed against the soft grass as the man vigorously pounded into her, whimpering when he pulled back and rubbed his head against her opening, "Xanxus, you asshole! Stop teasing!"

Said asshole leaned down and started mouthing her back, "_Perché? Ti stai godendo, non sei tu?_"

Tsuki looked back and glared at him through half-lidded eyes, "_No non sono!_"

"Then tell me, Vasílissa," he pushed the head of his erection to her opening, pulling away when the girl pushed back. Chuckling, he pressed his mouth against hers. "_Dimmi che vuoi il mio cazzo dentro di te._"

She grabbed the man by the back of his head, leaning her head back to whisper against his ear, "_Scopami. Voglio il tuo cazzo dentro di me, Xanxus._"

Xanxus growled and slammed his dick inside her, pushing her upper body down by the back of her neck as he fucked her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, fingers playing with her clit. Tsuki's entire body was shaking with pleasure, purposely squeezing her walls around him, she moaned loudly at the sensation. The older of the two wasn't able to stop the groan from escaping him, gritting his teeth, he pulled both her arms behind her and rammed into her so roughly, both were sure she'd have a hard time walking properly after they finished.

"Xanxus!" she moaned loudly, knowing how much this affects the older man. Xanxus continued ramming into her, his hands gripping her wrists as he pulled her to him just as roughly.

Tsuki screamed his name as her orgasm hit her, flooding the organ still moving inside her. Xanxus grunted as he released his load inside her, his body shuddering as her walls milked him dry. He pulled out of her and watched as both their come trickled out of her opening, smirking when she let her body flop down in exhaustion.

The younger Sky silently watched as he pulled his pants off completely, lying on her back, her arms automatically wrapping itself around his neck when he got on top of her. Meeting his lips halfway, they made out until it was necessary to pull back for air. Tsuki suddenly remembered something. Xanxus eyed the woman smiling sweetly at him, eyes narrowing warily when she pressed a hand against his cheek, and before he could even blink, his head snapped to the side.

She grinned innocently at the man gaping at her, feeling so proud of herself for putting that look on his face. She caressed his stinging cheek before giving it a lick, laying her head back down, she told him with a dangerous glint in her eyes, "That was for almost getting my Storm killed."

Tsuki watched with interest as different emotions flashed in Xanxus' eyes, actually curious about how the man was going to retaliate, she was a bit surprised when he only smirked.

"You really are something, Vasílissa."

"Huh," sucking the finger the man pressed inside her mouth, she gave it a nip before pulling it out, "that wasn't the reaction I was expecting."

Xanxus gave her an amused look, licking the finger she sucked on, he leaned down and pressed their foreheads together, "You'll get the reaction you're expecting on our match. I don't plan on harming you until then."

Tsuki pouted, "Well, there goes my grand plan," she quipped, running a finger down his cheek, she let it rest on his throat and pressed lightly at his Adam's apple, she said sarcastically, "I thought by sleeping with you, you'd go easy on me."

Xanxus scoffed, "Going easy on you was never in my agenda, if you die during our match. Well, that'd be a fucking shame."

"I'm not going to die, Xanxus."

He smirked at her confidence, pecking her lips, he nibbled at her bottom lip, "It's not going to be a choice."

She gripped his hair, "I will always have a choice," she mumbled against his lips. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she rubbed herself against him, effectively ending their conversation and starting a new round.

"_The truth is... Xanxus and I are both fighting for the same thing. That's the only truth there is. He and I… we're both playing with fire and it'll only be a matter of time before one of us burns._"

* * *

Takeshi was lying on his back, eyes staring up at the ceiling of his family's dojo with both his arms supporting his head.

**_6 and half years ago_**

_Yamamoto Takeshi was 7-year-old when he first met Sawada Tsukiyomi. He saw her around Namimori Elementary School, they were also in the same class, but he has never talked to her. She was always by herself, never talking to anyone, doing things on her own, disappearing right after the bell rang, she was just a classmate whose grades were almost as bad as his. But one day, he began to see her in a different light._

_He was 8-year-old and was about to head home after finishing his cleaning duties when he saw her (more like she ran pass him and he followed after her out of curiosity), he almost lost her too but luckily, he found her, only she wasn't alone._

_"We finally caught up to you," one of the older boys said._

_"Hibari Kyoya's little pet," another one taunted._

Pet?_ Takeshi thought._

_"What do you want?"_

_Takeshi was surprised with how calm she was despite being surrounded by at least 5 older delinquents._

_"Akagi, just grab her and let's go," the one who looked like the ringleader ordered._

_Takeshi was about to run and help her, but he stopped when he saw the scene in front of him. _Wow...

_He watched in amazement as his classmate knocked the delinquents out. "Sugoi!"_

_Tsuki's head snapped to his direction, "Ya-Yamamoto-kun… how long have you…"_

_He grinned while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Haha… umm, I saw the whole thing. Gomen, I didn't mean to pry, but Tsuki-chan that was amazing! You were all bam bam and then you babam them!"_

_A smile small made its way to the girl's face as she listened to the tall kid retelling the event in his own weird way. She breathed out a sigh when she saw a certain kid making his way towards them, "Kyoya-san."_

_Takeshi's eyes slightly widened, "Tsuki-chan, you know him?" _And she's on first name basis with him too.

_The name Hibari Kyoya was slowly becoming infamous in Namimori, the 9-year-old kid's habit of biting those who he deems as herbivores to death has been building his reputation, and the fact that his sweet-looking classmate—the one who looked like she couldn't even hurt a fly, was calling him by his first name (and he's letting her), made Takeshi even more curious about her._

_Tsuki nodded, "Un, he's… a friend, right?" she turned to his direction with a slight pout, wincing when he thumped her head in reply._

_"Hn." Kyoya ignored the pout of the Small Animal and instead, opted to turn his attention to the herbivore watching them with a stupefied look, "Herbivore, why are you here?"_

_Takeshi blinked before a huge smile spread across his face, "Haha. See I was on my way home but then Tsuki ran pass me. I was curious so I followed her—Itai!" he rubbed his sore head, wincing when he felt a bump beginning to form, "What was that for?"_

_"For sticking your nose to where it doesn't belong," was the older kid's reply. He stared at the delinquents lying on the ground and gave Tsuki an impressed look, "Wao, you've improved, Small Animal."_

_Tsuki blushed and gave him a big smile, "Thanks."_

_"Ne, ne. Are you two close?" Takeshi wondered._

_"Hmm? I guess so. Kyoya-san is training me so I can defend myself and he's nice to me too... in his own carnivorous way…"_

_Takeshi's head tilted to the side, "Training? Defend? Defend yourself from?"_

_Tsuki opened her mouth to answer, but Kyoya cut her off._

_"You ask too many questions, Herbivore."_

_Said herbivore grinned, "Well, I want to be friends with you guys so of course I'll ask questions, and besides…" he made his way towards Tsuki and wrapped an arm around her small shoulder, grinning down at her flushed face, "I want to help protect her too. Isn't that what you're doing, Hibari?"_

_Tsuki watched the two stare at each other, blinking in surprise when the older kid smirked._

_"Hn. How are you planning on doing that?"_

_Takeshi thought about it for a moment before snapping his fingers when he remembered something, "My Oyaji knows how to use a katana! I'll ask him to train me."_

_Kyoya raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Is that so? Small Animal…"_

_Tsuki turned to him, "Hm?"_

_"What do you think?"_

_She pouted and crossed her arms to her chest, "I don't need protection."_

_Takeshi frowned, he pulled his arm off her, thinking that she doesn't like him, but the smaller girl grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together._

_"I don't need protection. I'm training so that I can be strong enough to protect myself, but…" she gave him a bright smile that made his cheeks flushed, "I do want to be your friend, though."_

_Takeshi smiled back just as brightly, "Watashi wa Yamamoto Takeshi, you two can call me Takeshi."_

_"And you can call me Tsuki, without the -chan."_

_Kyoya sighed in defeat, "You better not be an herbivore, Herbivore," he warned before turning around and walking off. "Let's go, I want to see how good of a swordsman your father is."_

_Takeshi rubbed the back of his head in confusion, "What?"_

_Tsuki giggled and began pulling him, "Come on. You'll get used to Kyoya-speaking in no time."_

_His father was surprised when he introduced his new friends, but he was even more surprised when he said that he wanted to learn how to use a sword. After hearing his reason as to why he wanted to learn, Tsuyoshi agreed. He also welcomed his son's friends with open arms, treating them like they were his own and doting on the two—especially the little girl deprived of a father's love—like how he dotes on his own son, and before long, their family of two became bigger._

"Takeshi?"

The teen was pulled out of his musing, sitting up, he turned to her direction and smiled, "Yo, Tsuki," his head tilted to the side when he noticed that she was alone. "Where's everyone?"

Tsuki sat beside him and answered, "In the shop, helping Oyagi deal with the last remaining costumers, well Hayato and Onii-san are, Kyoya is taking a nap in your room, Mukuro's helping Okaa-san with the dishes..."

Takeshi nodded and smiled softly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he soothed her worries, "I'm going to be fine, Tsuki."

Tsuki pouted in annoyance, "You're creepy. I didn't even say anything."

The taller teen laughed, "I _know_ you. I haven't forgotten what Dino said, but I'm not going to lose. I'm going to beat the second-in-command of Varia _and _the Sword Emperor. I promise."

"Hmmm," she leaned against him and smiled softly, "I don't doubt that. Still though, be careful, his titles aren't just for show."

"Aa," Takeshi agreed. "So… you survived Kyoya."

Tsuki pulled away from him and met his gaze, "Out with it. I know he's not the only one who wants to say something."

"What's really going on between you and Xanxus?" he asked with a serious look on his face.

"Eh?"

"Tsuki, a lot of guys would kill to have a chance with you, and you're not the kind of girl who sleeps with a guy just for the heck of it. So why Xanxus? Why did you give _him_ your virginity?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Tsuki admitted, "I told Reborn and Kyoya that it was because I needed a distraction, and that's the truth…"

"Not the whole truth, though," the black haired teen pointed out, "if it was just for distraction, you could have chosen someone else, and you wouldn't have chosen that kind of distraction unless you really…"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Wanted him? Unless I was attracted to him?"

Takeshi nodded, "What do you really feel about him?"

"OI DAME-TSUKI! YAKYU-BAKA! MAMA SAID IT'S LUNCH TIME!"

"Lambo, you didn't have to shout."

"Lambo, loud."

Both teens stood and walked towards the three kids.

Takeshi bent down and picked the cow-child up, "Lambo, you shouldn't be moving too much, you were just released this morning," he chided.

Lambo crossed his arms to his chest petulantly, "Lambo-san is strong. Lambo-san doesn't need rest."

Tsuki rolled her eyes fondly, "Hai, hai."

The two teens led the kids out of the dojo and began making their way to the restaurant.

"Takeshi."

"Hm?"

"I don't know. And honestly, I'm not ready to find out."

* * *

"Fuuta-kun, Lambo-kun, I-pin-chan, why don't you three go upstairs and watch some cartoons" Tsuyoshi suggested.

"I'll go with them, Papa," Biachi volunteered, picking Lambo up in her arms and motioning for the two kids to follow her.

"Arigato, Bianchi," he gave her a grateful smile and waited until they were out of earshot. "Sate. Let's start this family meeting."

He sat down beside Nana and gave his kids a look, "Nana and I, we want you guys to stay out of the Mafia and live a normal life, but there's really nothing we can do. I know that world, I _lived _in that world, they'll chase you down no matter where you hide. And the fact that Tsuki is a legitimate heir to the most powerful Family in the world, makes it even more impossible to leave."

Nana wrung her hands together anxiously, "We want to protect you kids from—as much as possible—everything, but like Tsuyoshi said, we can't protect you kids from this. So we decided to trust you guys because we know, we're confident that you will protect each other no matter what."

"Of course, Mama! We will protect Juudaime with our lives!" Hayato declared confidently. He ducked down to avoid the chopsticks the older Yamamoto threw at him.

"You baka! I said protect _each other_! Not just Tsuki," Tsuyoshi scolded. "My little girl can take care of herself, you all can take care of yourselves, but I want you guys to protect yourself _and_ each other. That's one of our terms."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow, "Oya? One of?"

Nana nodded in agreement, "Un. Our second term is, from now on, you guys will tell us _everything_, no matter what it is, you will tell us. We want to know everything."

"Next, no more hiding things from us, or at least if you guys want to hide something, do it properly."

Nana gave him a look before addressing her children, "Don't attempt to hide anything from us, we're your parents, so we would know if you guys are hiding something."

Tsuyoshi crossed his arms to his chest and nodded, "Right. Our next term is, we want you guys to believe that we can handle it, whatever bomb it is, whatever truth it is. We. Can. Handle. It."

"And lastly, know that we will always be here, _always_. You guys will always be our babies, so we will do _everything _and _anything _for you guys, even if you don't want us to." Nana stared at them, "Now, if you guys agree to all our terms, then go ahead and win this Ring Conflict. We'll have a feast after it."

"Oh, before I forget. Promise us that you will always be safe," Tsuyoshi added.

Tsuki smiled softly, "I promise, Okaa-san, Oyaji."

"Me too! Mama, Oyaji," Takeshi said with a big smile on his face.

Hayato coughed and discreetly wiped the tear that was threatening to fall, "_Lo prometto_, Mama, Oyaji."

"Extreme promise! Mama! Oyaji!"

"Kufufufufu. I as well, Mama, Oyaji."

Kyoya nodded, "Aa."

"Kyo-kun," Nana pouted.

The prefect sighed in defeat, "I promise. Mama, Oyaji."

Tsuyoshi and Nana smiled.

* * *

_Coglione_ \- Fucker

_Stuzzicare_ \- Tease

_Perché? Ti stai godendo, non sei tu?_ \- Why? You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?

_No non sono!_ \- No I'm not!

_Dimmi che vuoi il mio cazzo dentro di te_ \- Tell me you want my cock inside you.

_Scompami. Voglio il tuo cazzo dentro di me_ \- Fuck me. I want your cock inside me.

_Lo prometto -_ I promise


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Raven Sinclair! The Battle of the Rain Swordsmen!

Takeshi looked around, "Looks like no one's here yet."

"Well that's a first," Hayato scoffed.

"Oya? Takeshi, is that person coming?" Mukuro asked.

Before he could answer, the Varia swordsman arrived.

"Vooooooiii! So you didn't run away, katana brat! I'll make fish kebab out of you!"

Takeshi smirked, "I won't let you, Squalo. I'm going to take you down with this katana," he declared, revealing the katana form of Shigure Kintoki.

Squalo looked mildly impressed, "Shape-changing katana, eh."

The Cervello landed beside him, "This evening's battlefield will be the school's building B."

"Please start making your way towards building B."

Kyoya's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Voooi! Where is that?"

The teens followed after them at a slower pace.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow at the sight that met them when they reached their destination, "Should we be worried? Both the entrance and windows are sealed."

"Looks like we go in from here," Reborn said, pointing at the only door where they could enter.

Takeshi reached for the doorknob, hearing an unusual sound behind the door, he wondered, "What's that sound?"

Gray eyes narrowed dangerously, "These Herbivores are having fun doing what they pleased in my school."

"It doesn't look like the school building at all," Hayato commented.

"This is the battlefield for the Rain Battle, Aquarion. Its special features consist of the three-dimensional structure and the large amount of water cascading through an enclosed space. The water flowing from the tank on the top floor will deepen from the 1st floor upward so long as the battle continues, the water level will also continue to rise," the Cervello explained.

"Just like a sinking ship..." Ryohei voiced.

"Aa," Mukuro agreed, "finding footing will become harder as well."

The Cervello continued, "Furthermore, the collecting water has been especially modified to match the consistency of seawater, when the water level reaches a predetermined height... a ferocious sea beast will be released into the arena."

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "By ferocious beast, you mean a shark, right?"

The Cervello flinched, "How...?"

"What other ferocious beast could you possibly hide in this building? An octopus? A kraken?" the young Sky asked sarcastically.

Her Guardians shared an uneasy look. Xanxus watched her with an amused look on his face.

The Cervello coughed awkwardly, "Sawada-san, we were informed that Bovino Lambo was released from the hospital this morning and yet, we notice that he is not here..."

"I must commend your amazing observation skill," Tsuki drawled, she gave them a winning smile and informed, "he's not here because I didn't want him here, he's sleeping like a log at Oyaji's place. Is that a problem?"

The Cervello shivered in fear at the aura the girl was emitting despite the smile on her face. Swallowing nervously, they shook their head, "Iie."

The younger boss smirked, "Good."

"Quit scaring them, Tsuki-chan."

Tsuyoshi smiled at the pout the girl sent him, ruffling her hair before turning his attention to his children's opponent. _So they're this generation's Varia_.

Squalo's eyes narrowed. _He looks familiar_.

"Oh—right, I ran into them on my way here," Tsuyoshi said, nodding at the two Cavallone Mafiosi's direction

"Yamamoto, I hope you don't mind me watching your match."

Takeshi grinned, "Got it."

"Yosh! It's time to do the usual!" Ryohei exclaimed.

Tsuyoshi's eyes softened while watching them.

"Yamamoto! Fight!"

"Oh!"

"Then, would the Guardians of Rain please gather in the center. In addition, due to the submersion, the audience area will be outside the school building. The match will be projected onto a giant screen set in the wall. All persons other than the guardians should vacate the premises."

"Well, go get 'em, Yamamoto!" Ryohei cheered.

"Don't you dare lose," Hayato warned.

Kyoya gave him a nod before walking away.

Mukuro grinned at him, "Have fun~"

"I plan to," Takeshi said, matching his grin.

Tsuyoshi met his son's eyes, "Don't let your guard down. Not even for a moment."

"Aa."

Tsuyoshi nodded in approval at the determined look in his eyes, he gave the Varia one last look before leaving to join the rest.

"I trust you…" Tsuki started, "so you can do whatever you want."

Takeshi smiled, "I won't let you down, Tsuki."

"There will be no time limit for this battle. The battle for the Guardian of the Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi vs. Superbi Squalo, battle start!"

"Oya, oya? Looks like that person is here."

Takeshi—who was about to attack first—heard him and paused, "Really?"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, not turning to look at the person walking towards them, "You're late. The match started without you."

"Hmm? It doesn't look like I missed anything, though."

Squalo's eyes narrowed. _I know this voice..._

A huge smile spread across Takeshi's face, "Raven!"

"Raven!?" Squalo exclaimed in shock.

Bel's eyes narrowed behind his bangs, "Oh? Raven? As in…"

"Raven Sinclair," Mammon finished with a hint of disbelief in his tone.

The girl named Raven smirked, "Yo."

The Varia stared at her in disbelief. Everything about the girl screamed Italian, from the shape of her face down to her built, her hair was black with red streaks running down the bottom, her eyes were purple, and she was as tall as Hayato.

"What are _you _doing here?" Levi demanded.

Raven tilted her head to the side, "It's kind of a mandatory thing… you see, when your boyfriend is about to have a fight to the death, as his girlfriend, I kinda have to watch it."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow, "Girlfriend?"

Raven nodded, "Un. It's been a while, Xanxus. Last time we saw each other, I was 6."

"Hn."

"Voooiii! What the fuck!? How in the world did this happen!?" Squalo demanded, his sword pointed at the confused kid in front of him.

"Why do you people sound so surprised? That's kind of mean," the younger Rain pouted.

"Of course we'd be surprise!" Squalo spat, "She's the freaking heiress to the second most powerful Family in the world. And you, you were supposed to be an effing civilian! And now we found out that you're dating her. It's bad enough that Dino is on that brat's side and now this? Gah! What the fuck is going on!?"

Takeshi watched him in amusement, "Haha. It kind of just happened."

"Why are you making it sound like it's a big deal?" Raven asked, "A certain someone's relationship with a certain boss is more of a big deal than this."

Tsuyoshi blinked, "Eh? A certain someone's relationship with a certain boss…? Who are we talking about?"

Xanxus raised an eyebrow at the warning look the brat shot him.

"It's nothing. She's talking nonsense, Oyaji," Tsuki dismissed, ignoring the truth trying to claw its way out of her throat.

Tsuyoshi stared at her for a minute, "You know, Tsuki-chan… you really can't lie to me."

"Wha—?"

The older Yamamoto's eyes narrowed dangerously, "So…" turning to look at his uncharacteristically quiet sons, he asked, "why is _he_ still alive?"

Tsuki sighed in exasperation, "Oyaji! Seriously, you people are making a big deal out of nothing. Oi! Takeshi! Squalo! How long do you plan on just standing there?"

"You know what you're doing, right?" Tsuyoshi asked, staring pointedly at the girl.

She met his gaze head-on, "Aa."

Squalo ran towards Takeshi, his sword raised for an attack. The teen managed to dodge his strike and the tiny explosives hidden along the edges of his sword.

"Ho, avoided it, did you?"

"Yikes. That was close, the daily image training I did after losing to you paid off."

Squalo grinned, "Image training? You trash," he began running towards Takeshi, "was this…" only to disappear in a blink, "in the images?"

Takeshi's eyes narrowed, "You're still…" he turned around, his bamboo sword blocking the Varia Rain's strike, "underestimating me."

He smirked in reply, "I don't have a reason not to. Die."

Dino's eyes widened as he watched the hidden explosives head towards Takeshi at such a close quarter, "From that distance…"

Tsuki smirked, "Neh, Dino-nii, worrying about Takeshi is a waste of time, especially since…"

"He's already drawn his sword," Raven finished, watching the screen with a grin on her face.

"Eh?" Dino turned his attention back to the screen, staring at the unusual cloud surrounding the place where Takeshi was, "The shape of the smoke…!?"

Tsuyoshi grinned, "This is the Shigure Soen Ryu's Seventh Defensive Form: Shibuki Ame."

Squalo landed on his feet and turned, "What was that!?"

Takeshi swung his sword to the side and stared at his opponent impassively, "Can you not underestimate me? I think you heard Tsuki when she said I can do whatever I want. It'd be a shame if you accidentally get yourself killed…"

"Voooiii!" Squalo yelled angrily, he ran towards him, dragging his sword along the way, "Don't get cocky, you damn trash!"

The teen ignored the explosives his counterpart sent towards him, not even blinking when they exploded around him, trapping him in the process. He sighed in annoyance, using his sword, he created multiple waves around him, obscuring himself from Squalo and blocking his attack. _If he's not going to take me seriously, then I'll just have to force him_.

Hayato winced, "Looks like Yakyu-baka is pissed."

Ryohei crossed his arms and nodded, "Aa."

"Vooooiiiii! What's with that look? Am I pissing you off?" Squalo mocked, "You should have attacked after defending! You really are a complete idiot! You gave up your very last chance at wounding me!"

"You think so?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow, "You sure talk big, don't you?" he rubbed the back of his head, "I really don't have a choice, huh?"

Squalo's eyes narrowed, "What are you—" his eyes widened in shock when the brat suddenly disappeared, staring in astonishment when he appeared right in front of him just as fast.

"Shigure Soen Ryu… Fifth Offensive Form:..."

The older Rain raised his sword to block him, only to clash with nothing.

"Samidare."

Dino and the Varia stared in shock at the screen.

"No way… Yamamoto…" Dino trailed off in disbelief.

Xanxus' eyes narrowed as he watched the loud trash jump away from the brat, hand clutching the wound on his stomach.

"Iemitsu really did a number on our reputation, huh? Belphegor mentioned this last night, about me being a natural born hitman." Takeshi cocked his head to the side, "Neh, Squalo… do I have to cut off your other hand for you to believe that?" he raised an eyebrow, swinging his sword to remove the blood from the blade, "Or should I just end this now? Because honestly, fighting you isn't as fun as I thought it would be. It's disappointing actually..."

Squalo gritted his teeth angrily, "You fucking…" he charged towards him, not paying any mind to the wound on his stomach, "aren't you underestimating me too much! Looks like you still don't understand the situation you're in! I'll make it so you can never open that conceited mouth of yours again!"

Brown eyes narrowed, "Iie…" using his sword, he raised a column of water around him, "you're the one…"

Squalo did the same thing, blocking both their visions of each other.

Tsuki and her Guardians along with Tsuyoshi and Raven waited impassively for the result. Reborn looked at them from the corner of his eyes.

"Who's underestimating me!"

Squalo froze in disbelief, unable to comprehend the fact that blood was gushing out of the cut on his shoulder.

Gray eyes met blank brown ones.

"You're going to get yourself killed, Squalo," Takeshi said, the tip of his sword grazing Squalo's neck. "Let me tell you something. I know for a fact that you've already defeated Shigure Soen Ryu."

Squalo jumped away from the teen, landing on his feet, he glared at him, "What?"

"My Oyaji… was a former assassin. His name is Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, but in the underworld, he's known as… the _Silent Rain_."

The Varia's eyes widened.

"Eh? The Silent…" Lussuria turned to look at said man.

Tsuyoshi ignored them and continued to watch his son.

"He and the successor you defeated had the same master. Their master taught them 7 forms. I'll tell you now, the Eighth Form my Oyaji taught me, and the Eighth Form you defeated… are different. Oyaji and that guy's Shigure Soen Ryu are different. You may have defeated his, but my Oyaji's Shigure Soen Ryu is completely flawless, strongest, and unrivaled."

Dino smiled a bitter smile "Yamamoto… I really underestimated him, huh?"

Tsuki turned to him and nodded, "Hai. We can't blame you, though. You didn't know him, but you knew Squalo."

Her older brother pouted, "That's 'cause you guys are good at hiding and keeping secrets."

Tsuki gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, this game is nearing its conclusion. You're one of the people who gets to know the truth." Her eyes briefly met Xanxus' before her attention went back to the screen.

A dangerous smirk spread across Squalo's face, "You did it, brat. I won't hold back anymore."

"Squalo is baring his fangs," Mammon commented.

Both swordsmen charged at each other, Squalo struck first—which Takeshi easily dodged. The silver-haired man swung his sword, releasing the hidden explosives. The teen ignored the wave the explosions created, swinging his sword to block the debris the older man sent towards him.

When the Varia Rain was near him, Takeshi made his move.

_Samidare_.

Squalo smirked as he intercepted him, his sword clashing with the teen's.

Tsuki's eyes narrowed when her Rain remained standing still, "Takeshi?"

Raven gritted her teeth, "That attack is…"

"Die!" Squalo jeered, getting ready to strike the teen.

Takeshi's eyes widen, he punched his arm to stop it from stiffening—and before he knew it, Squalo's sword had reached him. Throwing his body backward to avoid a deeper cut, he landed on his back and quickly threw his weight to the side in order to avoid the next strike.

"Raven, what the hell did he do to him?" Hayato asked, turning to look at her.

"Attacco di Squalo. It's an attack that changes the effect of a full power swing into a shock wave and paralyzes the opponent's nerves. Takeshi did well to solve the stiffening by striking his arm, but he won't be able to use that hand for a while."

"Heh. I'm surprised you didn't warn him about that," Belphegor said, "after all, you are dating him, and you know all of Squalo's techniques."

Raven scoffed, "Why would I? This Ring Battle has nothing to do with me, your fight," she pointed at the Varia, "with them, it doesn't involve me. This is Vongola's problem, not the Sinclair's. Besides, Takeshi wouldn't have listened even if I did try to warn him."

Squalo ran towards the teen, "What's wrong!? You look pale!" he mocked.

Takeshi gritted his teeth, he looked up and saw an opportunity where he could escape until his hand recover. He jumped up a fallen debris in order to reach the next floor.

"Vooooiiiii! As if I'd let you run!"

The teen landed on the next floor. He raised his left arm shakily, blowing at it an attempt to ease it. His eyes widened when he felt the floor beneath him starting to shake.

Tsuyoshi's fists clenched as he watched his son's opponent thrust his sword multiple times against the floor where his son was, closing his eyes when the floor started to shatter, knowing that it would only take a second before the sword reach his son.

Tsuki grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together, "He won't lose, Oyaji," she muttered.

His eyes softened, "I know. But seeing one of my kids bleeding, it's pretty rough."

The girl looked down and bit her lip. _Gomen, Oyaji…_

Takeshi's body hit the floor below with Squalo staring down on him from the next floor.

"Those strike… they look like it was chewing space itself," Ryohei commented, unable to hide the awe in his voice.

"Superbi Squalo is a frightening man," Mukuro voiced.

"Zanna di Squalo…" Levi trailed off, he turned to his boss who was sitting nonchalantly on his throne with his cheek resting on his fist and a bored look on his face, "Boss, our win is assured now."

Xanxus scoffed, "Heh, it doesn't matter how many years have passed. That bastard will never change."

"I should say this is expected from Squalo," Mammon started, "in the end, he's personifying the duty of the Rain Guardian. _To square away conflict and wash away the blood spilled. The Requiem of Rain._"

Tsuki stared at the screen with a bored expression.

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Oi Takeshi! How long are you planning on toying with him?"

The Varia turned to her. Squalo's eyes narrowed.

"She's right," Hayato agreed, "for a guy who got pissed off when his opponent held back, you sure are taking your sweet time in fighting him seriously."

"Voooiiiii! What the fuck are you two on about!?" Squalo demanded, "This brat is seconds away from taking his last breath!"

Takeshi closed his eyes and sighed, "You guys… I'm in serious pain right now, and you guys aren't even worried about the state of my body."

Ryohei raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that your extreme fault?"

"Kufufufufu. You let yourself get distracted, so you have only yourself to blame for whatever pain you're feeling."

"Hn."

Dino stared at them with a stupefied look on his face, "Wha—?"

Reborn sighed tiredly, "Just roll with it, Pipsqueak-Dino."

Tsuki smirked at the boss looking at her in slight confusion.

Squalo raised an eyebrow as he watched the teen stand, "Vooooiiiii!"

"Warui, Squalo. I take back what I said earlier, fighting you is really, really fun. It went beyond what I expected, but… it's time to end this…"

The older swordsman grinned, "Aa. With your death, this whole thing will come to an end."

Takeshi avoided the shock wave he sent him, jumping up to land on the same floor, he readied his stance, "Shigure Soen Ryu, Eighth Offensive Form:..."

Grey eyes narrowed, "That stance is…." _Was he bluffing earlier? _He gritted his teeth in annoyance. _Doesn't matter. I'll stop whatever it is_.

The teen charged towards him with his Flames surrounding him and his sword, "Shinotsuku Ame."

Tsuyoshi smiled, pride shining in his eyes as he watched his son's attack hit his opponent.

Xanxus' brows furrowed.

"Hey, Squalo, are you still underestimating me? Or did you really think you could stop my attack?" the teen asked, his back facing him.

Squalo grinned, "Brat… I truly didn't imagine that you'd come this far…" he wiped the blood off his chin, "I admit, I was underestimating you, but…" he stood and pointed his sword, "that attack just now, I thought I could stop it. Hate to admit it, but you've earned my respect, kid."

Raven, Tsuki, and Tsuyoshi smirked, both sets of Guardians and Dino stared at the screen in surprise, Reborn hid his eyes with his fedora, Xanxus continued to stare at the screen with a bored look on his face.

Takeshi grinned back, "Haha. I'm glad to hear that."

"Do you know any more style that I don't know?"

"Hrmm? Haha. Unfortunately, you know all seven forms that I do."

"Why are they talking so casually!?" Levi exclaimed.

Dino sweat dropped, "He told his hand too honestly…!"

"Then, this night will really end with your death. I've mastered Shinotsuku Ame now that I've seen it once," Squalo boasted.

Takeshi smiled, "Excellent. I was hoping for that. Then let's try this," he held his bamboo sword like he was holding a baseball bat, "Shigure Soen Ryu, Ninth Form:..."

"So he created his own form…" Tsuyoshi's eyes softened, a hint of sadness in his eyes. _Nana… our kids are growing up way too fast_.

Squalo's eyebrow twitched, "What's up with that posture? Are you gonna play baseball or something?"

"Gomen, gomen, but baseball is all I can do."

"This one strike will decide the match," Reborn commented.

"Hai…" Dino agreed.

"You're getting too carried away, brat!" Squalo charged towards him, slicing diagonally in front of him as he does so, "Feel the real power of my sword!"

"Scontro di Squalo. I didn't think we'd be able to see Squalo's secret technique that defeated the Sword Emperor," Mammon stated.

"Here I go." Takeshi slashed his sword upward, disappearing behind the wave he created, he managed to dodge Squalo's attack.

"Well, how is it!?"

Hayato watched in amazement as Squalo's attack changed direction, "What reaction speed!"

Squalo continued attacking the teen until the teen was forced to move away from him, "This is the end!"

"It's over," Tsuki said with a smile on her face.

The spectators watched as the younger Rain appeared behind the older one. The Varia smirked, knowing that Squalo's sword has no blind spot.

Dino's eyes widened when Squalo's hand suddenly extended, turning 180 degrees backward and thrusting straight through Takeshi's stomach, "An artificial hand!?"

Squalo's eyes narrowed. _It can't be. What I just stabbed was…_

"An illusion projected onto the surface of the water," Reborn said.

Squalo turned to the teen's direction, knowing that he won't be able to block nor dodge him on time.

_Utsushi Ame_.

_So this is… defeat… _Squalo thought as he started to fall.

Using the tip of his sword, Takeshi pulled the chain off his neck while he was falling.

Dino stared in shock at the screen.

"Why he is so smart when it comes to things like this?" Hayato wondered, "Making up an original attack on the spot. Why can't he be like that all the time?"

"Because the world doesn't work like that," Raven answered.

"Must be the natural born hitman within him," Reborn added.

"Kufufufufu. Takeshi didn't kill him, what a shame."

"What an unexpected twist," Bel said with a frown on his face.

"How is this possible…" Mammon trailed off, a hint of wonder in his tone.

Levi turned to his boss, "Boss…" his eyes widened at the hard frown on his boss' face.

Xanxus stared at the fallen swordsman with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"_Voooi! Xanxus! I'm making a vow."_

_A younger Squalo with shorter hair turned to an equally young looking Xanxus._

"_Before that plan is realized, I'm not gonna cut my hair."_

"_Ah?"_

"_You should make a vow not to cut your hair too."_

"_Heh! Worthless. Will it do that hand you lost in the affair with the emperor any good?"_

"_Voooi! Don't misunderstand. I cut off this hand to better understand the techniques of the emperor who had no left hand. This is also proof of my resolve to go along with you. You'll see, Onzoushi. The day will surely come when you'll be thankful you made me your ally."_

Tsuki watched the other boss from the corner of her eyes, closing her eyes when the look in his eyes changed.

"How pathetic! He lost! That trash!" Xanxus laughed haughtily before his expression changed into a serious one, raising a hand, he stated, "He's outlived his usefulness."

"Boss, there's no need for you to do it yourself," Levi protested.

Mammon suggested, "Should I take care of it?"

Lussuria turned to Tsuki's direction, "You're not going to interfere?"

She shrugged, "Squalo's a different matter. He's different from the rest of you, so there's no way I'll interfere."

Levi's eyes narrowed, "What are you—"

The Cervello cut him off, "Please wait a moment. It is dangerous to enter the Aquarion at the moment. The designated water depth has been reached, and the ferocious beast has been released."

Takeshi blinked, "Squalo's knocked out, what'll happen to him?"

"As the one defeated, his survival is no longer our responsibility," the Cervello answered.

The teen sighed, "I thought as much." He stared down at the fin closing in on his and Squalo's location, "That's scary. It can't reach us yet, though."

The shark suddenly rammed its head against the pillar holding up the floor where the two swordsmen were.

"What are you doing? Get out of there, Yamamoto!" Dino yelled before turning to look at the calm group beside him, "Why aren't you guys saying something? He's about to get eaten by a shark!"

Tsuki gave him an amused look, "Takeshi won against a Varia Boss candidate, and he's the son of a sushi chef. He can handle a little shark."

Takeshi moved towards the edge of the platform, he rolled his shoulder with a wince, "I need to finish this quick."

"Voi. What the fuck are you doing?"

The teen turned his head to look at him, "Hm?"

"Get out of here, you brat! You're tainting my honor as a swordsman."

"Eh? What are you talking about?" the younger Rain looked at the shark rapidly making its way towards them from the corner of his eyes, "I won, so I get to decided how this night will end. And I've decided that, it'd be a shame if I lose a potential training partner. Oyaji's taught me everything he knows, and I doubt he'll ever hold a katana again unless he actually has to." He jumped up and swung his sword, shielding his face from the blood that gushed out of the shark he just cut. Landing on his feet beside the shocked swordsman, he grinned, "This is fine, right? Tsuki?"

Tsuki threw her head back and laughed, "Why are you asking that now? Well, whatever, I did tell you to do what you want."

The Cervello's face appeared on the screen, "The victory in the scramble battle for the night goes to Yamamoto Takeshi. We will now announce the match-up for the next battle. Tomorrow night's battle will be…"

"The Battle between the Guardians of Mist."

"Kufufufufufu. It's finally time."

* * *

"Is Squalo still alive?" Tsuki asked, leaning her back against a tree.

"Hn. Unfortunately," Xanxus answered as he made his way towards her.

Sunset-amber eyes stared blankly at his red ones, "You say that, but… Squalo's death would have affected you far more than you would like to admit."

Xanxus stopped a foot away from her, eyes blazing with anger, "You're delusional."

The girl rolled her eyes, "I'm a Sky too, Xanxus."

The older boss leaned both his arms on either side of her head, trapping her between his body and the tree, "That doesn't mean shit."

"If you say so," she placed her palm on his chest, "Xanxus…"

The man cut her off before she could say anything, he ran his tongue along her lower lip before pushing it inside without permission, wrapping an arm around her waist, he pressed their bodies closer while running his other hand down her body, slowly making its way to her most sensitive area, but he was stopped before he could reach it, he pulled his head away and glared at her.

"Brat…"

Tsuki bit her lip and gently pushed the man away from her, "We can't…"

"Why the fuck not?" Xanxus demanded. His hand shot forward and grabbed the back of her head, exposing her neck which he began nipping at.

Tsuki moaned in protest when the older man proceeded to ignore her vain attempts of pushing him off. "Mou, Xanxus, seriously," she whined, pulling at his hair to get him to stop.

"Hn."

He clicked his tongue when the brat managed to push him off. Crossing his arms to his chest, he regarded her with a look of pure annoyance on his handsome face, "What?"

She looked away from the man's gaze, her cheeks turning red, "It's… it's that time of the month…"

Xanxus blinked and continued to stare, making her squirm at how intently he was staring. "So?"

The embarrassed girl turned to him with an incredulous look, "Ha?"

The older man had the audacity to shrug as he nonchalantly said, "What of it? I don't really care. We can still do i—"

He tilted his head to the side to avoid her fist, raising an eyebrow at the look of embarrassment and disbelief on her face.

"You're… into that kind of thing?" Tsuki warily asked.

"Fuck no."

The younger of the two blinked in confusion, "Then why are you…"

"I'm horny and I want you." He grinned when her cheeks flushed even more. He wrapped an arm around her waist and ran a knuckle down her hot cheek while leaving wet kisses on her other one, "Vasílissa…" he muttered against her cheek.

Tsuki bit her bottom lip, leaning up, she whispered against his lips, "No."

Xanxus glared down at her, "Annoying."

The younger Sky shrugged and pulled away from his hold, ignoring the fact that her stomach churned when he let her. "We're not doing it. End of discussion."

The two Sky entered a staring contest.

The older of the two gritted his teeth, "Fine."

Tsuki looked down to hide her expression. _Is he going to... look for someone _else. Her eyes narrowed. _The thought of him with someone else... pisses me off… this is not good_.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt him pull her down, blinking in surprise when she found herself straddling his lap with him leaning on a tree. "Eh?"

Xanxus started nuzzling her neck, "How long?"

Tsuki was having a hard time comprehending what was happening, all she managed to get out was, "Ha?"

The older Sky smirked at the dumbfounded look on her face, pecking her lips, he nipped at her bottom lip before pulling at it with his teeth, giving it a lick and tracing it with his thumb after the abuse, "I'll settle for ravishing this lips…" he grabbed a tiny hand and used it to cup his erection through his pants, "and your hand," he growled in approval when she instinctively gripped him, "how long, Tsukiyomi?"

She leaned forward, licking a trail from his cheek up to his ear and whispered, "Three days."

"Hn. Better prepare yourself. I'll fuck you until you break."

The teen met his heated gaze, "You can't break me, Xanxus."

The older man grinned maniacally, "I better not."

"In three days…" she traced the scar on his cheek, "everything will be over… _that _game…" she leaned her forehead against his and muttered, "and _this _one."

Red eyes narrowed, "Hn." He grabbed the back of her neck and crashed their lips together. _Like hell it will_.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Mists! The Battle! And Some Unexpected Guests!

**_5 years ago (Somewhere in Italy)_**

_Mismatched eyes narrowed upon exiting the building. He raised an arm to halt his two companions and asked—the number in his right eye changing into the kanji for three, "Who are you?" _She's not from here, she looks... Japanese?

_The girl standing in front of him didn't answer. She stared at his mismatched eyes before looking at the building behind him, "Are you three the only survivors?"_

_He blinked in surprise at her flawless Italian, sensing that she wasn't going to attack, he lowered his arm, "That's right. Out of all the children in the building, we're the only survivors."_

_"The adults?"_

_He grinned like a madman, "I murdered them."_

_The girl barely batted an eye, "You annihilated the Estraneo Famiglia. Now what? _They_ will come after you and your companions. You have nowhere else to go."_

_"Oya? _They_ won't know who did it. I will kill you and bury the truth with you, after that, I'm going to destroy this insignificant world."_

_The two kids stared at each other, his eyes widening when the girl smiled at him, a genuine and welcoming smile._

_"Come with me, Mukuro Rokudo."_

* * *

"Boss, I've come to obtain your permission."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow.

"I wish to use that power in tonight's match."

Belphegor turned to him with a grin, "Hnn. You're pretty fired up, Mammon."

"Why go that far? Even with Squalo's loss. We have the advantage with 3 wins and 2 losses," Levi stated.

"You nervous?" Bel teased.

Mammon glared at him even though he wouldn't be able to see it, "Don't be absurd. I don't care about the opponent. My power is the kind of thing that will become hard to manage if I don't brush it up every now and then."

The grin on Bel's face widened, "I can't wait. I've never seen Mammon's powers before."

Xanxus stood from his perch on the chair, "You have my permission," he said before leaving the room with his subordinates watching him.

He entered his room and shut the door behind him. Throwing his Varia jacket on the bed, he began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Voi. I don't know what surprises me more, the fact that the brat's a biter, or the fact that you let her mark you."

The Varia Boss ignored him, walking towards a mirror, he touched the evident bite mark on the side of his neck that was usually hidden by the collar of his shirt.

Squalo's eyes narrowed when a smirk tugged at his boss' mouth. "You're in too deep, Xanxus."

"Hn."

"Is the plan still on?"

Red eyes glared at him through the mirror, "The plan's still on until I say otherwise."

The Rain raised an eyebrow, "And then? What happens after you beat her?"

A wide grin spread across the Varia Boss' face, his red eyes blazing with anticipation, "She's going to be all mine. And there's nothing anyone can do about it, not even her."

* * *

Tsuki's eyes met with red ones the moment she entered the gymnasium, she smiled at him before turning her attention to the two Cervello who called her name.

"Sawada Tsukiyomi. Where is your Mist Guardian?"

_Midori tanabiku namimori no,_

The Varia looked around in confusion, wondering where the song was coming from.

_Dai naku shou naku nami ga ii,_

Tsuki smiled, "They're back."

_Itsumo kawaranu sukoyaka kenage,_

The Varia stared at the yellow, fluffy bird flying around in the room.

_Aa... tomo ni utaou namimori chuu._

The canary landed on the younger boss' head, "Tsuki! Tsuki! Back! Back!"

"Ah, okaeri."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed when two boys and a girl entered the gymnasium.

"We're back, byon."

"Hmm."

"Tadaima, Bosu."

His eyebrows rose when the girl with purple hair walked up to his lover and kissed her cheek.

"Yo, Chrome, Ken, Chikusa," Takeshi greeted with a huge smile on his face.

"Che," Hayato scoffed, "you people sure took your time, huh."

Ken glared at him, "Shut up, byon!"

Hayato matched his glare, "Ha? What was that, teme!"

"Maa, maa, Calm down, you two," Takeshi pacified.

"Ken, you're being too loud," Chikusa chided.

Reborn's eyes narrowed, "Oi, Dame-Tsuki, what's going on?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Tsuki asked innocently.

"Who are they? And where's Mukuro?"

His student shrugged in reply.

The hitman gritted his teeth, "Dame-Tsuki..."

The girl with purple hair stepped forward and bowed her head, "Watashi wa Dokuro Chrome," she introduced before pointing at the guy wearing a beanie with a bored look on his face, "he's Kakimoto Chikusa, and he's Joshima Ken," she said, pointing at the blonde one with a scar on his face.

"Tsukiyomi... what's going on?" the Sun Arcobaleno asked again, trying to put a lid on his temper.

Tsuki's expression changed from innocent ones to a blank one, "Chrome's going to battle as my Mist Guardian."

"What?" Reborn hissed, "Mukuro is your Mist Guardian, you can't just change your Guardians out on a whim."

"I'm not," the young Sky said, "I've never told you who my Guardians were, have I?"

Reborn's eyes widened in surprise. Xanxus raised an eyebrow while his subordinates watched on with interest.

"Yamamoto Takeshi, Hibari Kyoya, Sasagawa Ryohei," the girl listed, "from the very start, even before you came to Japan to officially train me, you and Iemitsu planned for them to be my Guardians," she smirked at the look that crossed her tutor's face. "You were supposed to introduce them to me one by one so I can slowly bond with them, but you weren't expecting me to already know who they were, you didn't say anything because it was a great coincidence on your part, you couldn't have asked for a better outcome. You asked for Hayato to be sent here in order to test me, but the truth is, you planned for him to be my Storm. Mukuro was a great surprise, it saved you guys the trouble of finding a Mist Guardian. You guys picked Lambo because he was there and there was no one else."

Xanxus fought down the shiver of pleasure threatening to overcome his body when the vixen grinned wickedly at her tutor.

"A natural born hitman for a Rain, the Demon of Namimori for a Cloud, a guy with an unbreakable resolve for a Sun, a powerful and talented young man for a Mist, a genius and a loyal, mafia-born teen for a Storm, and a kid whose skin is a conductor itself for a Lightning." Tsuki raised an eyebrow and gave her tutor an amused look, "You guys had it all figured out."

Reborn pulled his fedora down to cover his eyes, casting a shadow on his face.

"You and Iemitsu didn't even ask me if I wanted them to be my Guardians, you just _assumed_that I did because of my relationship with them, you even gave them the Half-Rings without consulting me," she chuckled, "well, luckily for you guys, I would have chosen them nonetheless. You were right in assuming that Takeshi, Kyoya, Onii-san, and Hayato were my chosen Guardians, but Lambo... he wasn't supposed to be a part of this, involving him was never part of my plan, not while he was still so young. I already had someone else in mind, someone who would take the role of my Lightning Guardian until Lambo was old enough, but you guys..." she shook her head in annoyance. "Assuming that Mukuro was my Mist Guardian, you guys were partially right about that, but the thing is..." she smiled sweetly, "you know what? Never mind, you'll find out eventually."

Reborn closed his eyes and sighed, "Do as you please."

"I don't need you to tell me that."

Before anything else could be said, the hitman's pacifier began to glow.

"Kora!"

"Colonnello-shishou!" Ryohei exclaimed in surprise, "I thought you were sleeping already."

"I was curious whether that chibi with the frog on his head..." Colonnello shared a look with Reborn, "is really an Arcobaleno. If we didn't make sure of that, there'll be trouble."

His fellow Arcobaleno humphed, "So you were concerned after all."

Chrome blinked, "Eh?" she turned to her boss in confusion, "Bosu, do they not know? That person..."

Tsuki grinned, "Aa." She turned and looked at the hooded Varia member, "The Mist Arcobaleno, Viper."

The Varia's eyes widened, Xanxus didn't even look surprise—so used to her knowing more that what she should, Reborn and Colonnello looked stunned.

Raven gave the two an incredulous look, "How could you guys not know?"

"Kora! Our pacifiers didn't glow," Colonnello defended.

"The chain around her neck—oh, by the way, just in case you guys didn't know, Mammon's a girl," Tsuki giggled at the dumbfounded look on the two Arcobaleno's face, "the chain blocks her Arcobaleno power and prevents other Arcobaleno from detecting her."

"Kid, how did you know that?" Mammon asked, her tone suggesting she wasn't happy about her identity and her secret being revealed so early.

"Xanxus told me," said kid quipped, "I pleasure him in exchange for information."

The effect was instantaneous. The Varia's jaw dropped, Xanxus threw his head back and laughed, Takeshi and Ryohei face palmed, Hayato looked like he was about to pass out, Ken and Chikusa pretended like they didn't hear anything, Colonnello was looking at the ceiling, Dino looked like he was about to burst into tears, Reborn looked seconds away from shooting his student, Raven looked like she was about to fall over from laughing, Kyoya was glaring so hard, Tsuki was sure she was going to burst into flames.

"Herbivore..." the warning in the Skylark's tone was clear.

Tsuki pouted, "Kechi. How I knew that... well..." she grinned cheekily, "you guys weren't the only ones who did their homework."

"Hmph." The chain around her body fell to the ground revealing her Mist Pacifier that triggered the other two pacifiers to glow. "Unlike you people, I am never negligent of the efforts to lift the curse. This chain is a by-product of my research."

"Yosh! Now that everything's settled. Let's do the extreme huddle!"

Takeshi wrapped an arm around Ken and Chikusa's shoulder, "You guys join us too."

Chrome immediately wrapped an arm around her boss, leaning in on her familiar warmth, she commented, "Bosu, somehow, you've gotten warmer."

"Hmm?"

"Yosh. Chrome! Fight!"

"Oh!"

Chrome gave them a smile before making her way to the center, "I'm going."

When both combatants were at the center, the Cervello began explaining the match, "This time, the battlefield will be the entirety of the gymnasium. The objects in the building can be used in any way you desire."

"Furthermore, this field has not been outfitted with any special installations, there is no need for perplexity."

"_Creating nothing into something, turning something into nothing; bewildering the enemy, making the Famiglia untouchable._" Tsuki sighed, "Tonight's battle will surely give us headaches."

"The audience area has also been set up in a designated space within the building. As with the battle of Storm, infrared triggered lasers have been installed. Please be careful."

"Then, Mist Battle, Dokuro Chrome vs. Mammon. Battle Start!"

Chrome twirled her trident above her head before slamming it back down, the floor around the gymnasium started to rise.

Tsuki's side remained unaffected by the illusions. Levi was the only one on the Varia's side who looked affected.

Mammon jumped around the debris, "So a jutsu user like me after all. But this is nothing but child's play. I can't make..." she charged towards Chrome, "any money off of that."

Xanxus watched the match with a bored look on his face. Leaning his cheek on his fist, he turned his eyes to the girl watching the match intently, his eyebrow rose when he caught the slight look of anticipation in her sunset-amber orbs. Sensing that someone was watching her, Tsuki turned to him and grinned, sticking her tongue out childishly—he smirked—before turning her attention back to the match.

"Oh, good, you're more or less a worthy opponent, which means I can use my full powers to my heart's content." The frog on her head started to crack, "Let's go, Fantasma."

"The frog!" Hayato exclaimed, watching in fascination as a yellow and white salamander emerged from the frog.

The salamander circled on top of Mammon's head before biting its own tail, creating a halo and lifting the Arcobaleno off the floor.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "She can float?"

"This isn't good. Mammon's planning on using her full power, the average illusionist can't stand up to that, kora."

Kyoya scoffed, "Hn. That Herbivore is not average."

"That's right," Takeshi agreed, "Chrome's no ordinary illusionist."

"It doesn't matter who the opponent is..." Chrome gripped her trident and faced the Arcobaleno with a confident look, "I won't lose."

She charged towards the floating baby and attacked her using her trident, which the Arcabaleno was able to evade.

"If you can't fly, swinging that stick around won't do you any good!" Mammon mocked as she continued to evade the teen's attacks.

Giant snakes suddenly wrapped around the Varia's Mist, curling around her until she couldn't move, "Mm. This isn't an illusion?" There was a hint of something in her tone that suggested that she was slightly disturbed.

Hayato whistled, "Heh, so she's strong enough to use _that._"

Ken grinned, "Of course, byon!"

"Wao," a small grin spread across the prefect's face.

Mammon's pacifier glowed with her Flame, shattering her opponent's attack into nothing. "I'll unleash my full power too. After that, I'll take my time in revealing your secret."

Chrome twirled her trident and slammed the butt on the floor, columns of fire burst from the floor around the gymnasium with one of the pillars managing to hit Mammon directly, but the Arcobaleno floated out of it like it was nothing.

"Your illusions are certainly first-class," she admitted, "if one believes even for an instant in the reality of those columns, one would be roasted alive. Therefore, your weakness is also illusions!"

"This is one crazy battle," Tsuki said while tapping the frozen column in front of her.

Takeshi shook his head, "A-Aa, damn, I still need more training. That illusion just now almost got me."

"I also accidentally fell for the illusion, kora," Colonnello admitted.

Reborn nodded, "Me too. As would be expected from Viper."

Chrome began breathing heavily.

"The art of illusion seizes control of the person's perception. That is to say, it infiltrates the brain that governs their five senses. The stronger the illusionist's abilities, the more complete the infiltration. Their illusion's rate of success is also heightened, and its hold over reality stronger. Thus, in the illusionist's case, if their illusion is successfully countered with illusion..."

Ice started freezing its way up Chrome's legs.

"It means the control of their perception will be completely snatched away."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed, Xanxus continued to watch with his brows furrowed, Ken was gritting his teeth.

"How is it? The abominable power of the Arcobaleno," Mammon boasted. "Well then, how about you reveal your true identity now? No matter what you have in mind, it's already too late. You are already a denizen of my world of illusions."

Using the ice, the Mist Arcobaleno threw the teen on the side with enough force to shatter the ice.

"This is bad, kora!" Colonnello said when Chrome's body slammed on the floor.

"Aa," Reborn agreed.

"Mm, it seems as though that weapon is fairly important to you," Mammon noted after seeing how tightly the girl was holding said weapon.

Chrome's eyes widened in panic, "Don't!"

Mammon raised her hand and clenched her fist, shattering the trident in an instant.

Reborn gave his student a sideways glance, eyes narrowing when he saw that her expression didn't change despite seeing her Mist coughing up blood, she looks more annoyed than anything.

The spectators watched as the younger Mist's abdomen started to cave in.

"I-Is this an illusion?" Dino asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Mm... this is real... why is this happening? What is with this girl...?"

Everyone could hear the bewilderment in her tone.

"It's hard to believe, but... it seems as though this girl's life was being prolonged by illusionary organs," Mammon observed.

"Iie."

The Varia members turned to the girl, Reborn, Colonnello, and Dino also turned to her with a look of confusion on their face.

Tsuki sighed, "There really is something wrong with your head. You even got Chrome involve in your shenanigans."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed, "Hn?"

Mist started wrapping around the fallen girl's body. Levi was the first of the Varia to notice.

"Look, the girl's body is being wrapped up in mist."

"Ah, this? She's simply using the last bit of her power to hide her ugly corpse. It's a common behavioral pattern of female illusionist."

"Kufufufufufufufu. Is that so? Are you going to do it too?"

The mist cleared, revealing one Rokudo Mukuro standing where the fallen girl was previously lying.

"Oi, kora! I'm confused, what's going on?"

The Rain Arcobaleno wasn't the only one, the Varia, Reborn, and Dino was as confused he was.

"The girl disappeared...?" Levi questioned.

Lussuria bit his thumb, "Or was she just an illusion cast by Mukuro?"

"Wrong."

The Varia's head turned to the sound of the familiar female voice, their eyes widening when they saw the purple-haired girl sitting crossed-leg beside her boss.

Reborn's fists clenched. _How long has she..._

"Kora!"

"Eh? Chrome?" Dino stared dumbfounded, "Ok, seriously! What the hell is going on!?"

"Hm? Well, didn't I say that Reborn was partially right in assuming that Mukuro's my Mist Guardian, partially because... both Chrome and Mukuro are my Mist," Tsuki grinned at the look the revelation got her.

"Dame-Tsuki, you can't—"

"Yes, I can," the young Sky cut him off, "those two are one and the same, they can switch bodies whenever they want, which means, I technically only have one Mist Guardian, it just so happens that they have two bodies, Dokuro Chrome and Rokudo Mukuro."

"Rokudo Mukuro? This is the first time I've heard your full name. I was wondering where I'd heard that name before. Now I remember, 5 years ago, a kid annihilated the Estreneo Famiglia, a couple of months after that, various Families were slaughtered, one after another," Mammon unfolded, "the Vindice were forced to interfere, but no matter how much they try, they could never track you down."

"The Vindice Prison, that's known as an impregnable fortress..." Levi said.

"You knew who he was," the number one hitman in world said without looking at his student.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Of course. I picked him up right outside the Estreneo Headquarters. I even burned the place down so they wouldn't know what happened, but somehow, they still found out that it was Mukuro who massacred the Family."

"Vooooiiii! What the fuck!? I'm done with that brat's secrets!" Squalo exclaimed.

"Heh? I'm not the only one here with secrets, though," the younger boss quipped, her eyes locking with the Varia Boss.

"Dame-Tsuki."

She turned her attention to her tutor, "Hn?"

"One of your Mist Guardians is a wanted man, he massacred countless Families in Italy. How long do you think he could walk as a free man?"

"_Per sempre._"

Mukuro looked down to hide the genuine smile on his face. When he looked up, his usual playful ones were back in place, "Chrome, it's my turn to shine." The number in his eyes changed into the kanji for One.

"Hai, Mukuro-sama."

Vines suddenly wrapped itself around Mammon's body, slowly squeezing her while the buds surrounding the vines slowly morphed into full-grown lotus flowers.

"W-What's this power...!" Mammon wheezed, "Th-The... pain..."

"Uwa... even Mammon is..." Bel trailed off, unable to believe that someone like Mammon was having a hard time.

"Even that Viper is completely overwhelmed..." the Rain Arcobaleno commented.

Reborn hummed in reply.

"What's wrong, Arcobaleno? If you keep taking your time, I'm going to wrap this up~" Mukuro quipped.

The Mist pacifier started to glow, shattering the illusions around her, she bellowed, "Don't get cocky!"

"So weak," Mukuro ridiculed, changing the number in his eye into the kanji for Four, he used his trident to destroy the images the baby projected.

"An illusionist who can use martial combat? That's blasphemy!" Mammon spat out while floating away from his reach, "I denounce you, and the rumors of your transmigration rubbish!"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow, "Oya?"

"Humans repeat their lives infinitely, over and over. That's why I keep hoarding my money!"

Chrome used her own trident to nullify the effects of the illusion cast by Mammon around her family, so Tsuki's side was the only place in the gymnasium that remained unaltered by the illusions being cast.

"That Viper is using her full strength," Colonnello said.

"She really has no other choice," Reborn answered.

Mukuro barely batted an eyelash, "Kufufufu! A greedy Arcobaleno? How amusing. But when it comes to greed, I won't lose either."

He twirled his trident around, slamming it down, columns of fire with lotus flowers wrapped around it like it's made of concrete sprouted in the room.

"What!" Mammon shouted in surprise.

Even the Varia was affected by the illusions, only Xanxus remained unaffected.

"Where did you learn this ability to make powerful illusions!?" Mammon demanded while dodging the columns that were still sprouting.

"Kufufufu. In hell."

"Stop talking rubbish!" Mammon roared, freezing the entire room.

Mukuro twirled his trident in front of him, getting rid of the images Mammon kept on sending towards him. Mismatched eyes narrowed when the Arcobaleno managed to get through his defense, casting an illusion around him and trapping him.

"Mukuro-san!" Ken shouted in panic.

"Why are you panicking?" Hayato asked, slapping him in the back of his head, "This is that bastard we're talking about. He can free himself from something like this."

True to what he said, lotus flowers started sprouting from the cocoon-like illusion trapping the heterochromatic teen. "Descent into hell... then, return again."

Levi's eyes widened in shock when the teen showed the two Half-Rings in his possession, "Impossible! Mammon was..."

"Haha. As expected," Takeshi laughed.

Chrome smiled softly, "Mukuro-sama..."

"I just have to rejoin these rings, correct?" Mukuro asked the two Cervello.

The two women shared a look.

"H-Hai..."

"I'm not done yet!"

Mukuro turned and stared blankly at the Arcobaleno.

"I was just playing with you. Don't get so cocky...!" Mammon bellowed, "I have yet to show you the full extent of my powers!" Her body froze when the teen suddenly appeared behind her.

"You must realize..."

She turned around and saw no one.

"If you have an illusion countered by an illusion, it means you have completely lost control of your own perceptions."

Tsuki watched impassively as Mammon was choked by her own pet.

"Come, shall I show you what this thing we call power really is? Shall we?" Mukuro taunted as the scene around him started to fall like it was being sucked down by a black hole.

"Kufufufu. How does it feel like, Arcobaleno? This is my world!"

Mukuro's body morphed into a snake-like creature and entered the falling Arcobaleno's mouth.

"You lost because of one reason, and only one reason," the younger illusionist's voice resonated around the room, "it's because you had me as your opponent."

The Varia stared wide eyed when their fellow Varia exploded, shattering the illusions around the room.

Mukuro landed on his feet with a smirk on his face, "Is this acceptable?" he asked, opening his palm to reveal the complete Vongola Mist Ring.

Tsuki rolled her eyes when the Cervello shared another look.

"The Mist Ring is now in possession of Sawada Tsukiyomi's Mist Guardian, with that, the winner of this battle is Dokuro Chrome."

"That Viper was..." Colonnello trailed off.

Bel grinned, "Ripped to pieces"

"Iie," Mukuro disagreed. He tapped his trident on the floor causing the wood to open like a can of sardines, revealing the Mist Arcobaleno bound and gagged, "The baby was about to escape using the energy she reserved for that very reason, she's a shrewd one." He sent the baby floating back to her team, getting rid of her illusionary bound after she landed on the hand of the Gola Moska.

Tsuki's eyes narrowed. _They're here_.

Mukuro was about to walk back to his family when a metal collar attached to a chain suddenly wrapped around his neck. He grunted as the chains pulled him down on his back.

"Mukuro-san! Gah!"

"Ack!"

The Varia, even Xanxus, was startled by _their_ sudden appearance.

"Voi, they're..."

"The Vindice." Lussuria stared wide eyed as three people from the other team were forced to lie on their backs while being slowly dragged.

Before anyone could blink, the chain around their necks was slashed into pieces.

"Maa, let's talk about this, neh?" although the black-haired teen was smiling, the look in his eyes tells a different story.

Hayato twirled a dynamite stick in his hand, "Oi, _figlio de puttana_, what do you think you're doing?"

Ryohei regarded them with a serious look.

"I will bite you all to death."

Chrome used her illusions to pull the three members of their family back to their side, "Mukuro-sama, Ken, Chikusa, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, byon," Ken assured, rubbing at his neck.

"Aa."

Mukuro smirked at the Vindice, "So you finally found me, huh."

"Rokudo Mukuro, Joshima Ken, Kakimoto Chikusa. You three are coming with us," one of the three Vindice said.

"Anyone who gets in the way."

"Will be taken as well."

"Oi, Reborn..." Colonnello gave his fellow Arcobaleno a sideways glance.

Reborn lowered the rim of his fedora, "There's going to be trouble..."

"Why?"

Every head turned to the direction of the girl who has been unusually quiet since the Vindice arrived. Tsuki's bangs were hiding her eyes, hiding her expression from everyone.

"Because he annihilated the Estreneo Family and countless others," Reborn answered. "Don't start anything, Tsuki. Getting involve with them will be nothing but trouble. You can negotiate their release when you become Decimo, but until then, don't do anything."

"You wanted him to be my Guardian... and now you're telling me to let them imprison him?"

"I didn't know he was hiding this big a secret, you went out of your way to make sure I never find out his full name, if I had known that he—"

"What?" sunset-amber eyes met obsidian ones, "If you had known that he was a murderer, you wouldn't have approved? I didn't know you were a hypocrite, Reborn." She chuckled darkly, "So I'm guessing it's ok to kill as long as it's for a mission, but it's bad if you do it just because you wanted to? Then, does that mean that the Vindice is going to take Bel too? I mean he _did _massacre his entire family because he was bored," she raised an eyebrow, "or does it not count? His family were of royal blood, not Mafia ones."

Bel giggled albeit a bit nervously, "She really is something."

Tsuki stared at her tutor impassively, "What? Cat got your tongue?" she smirked at him before turning her attention to the Vindice, "Your job is to protect the laws of the Mafia, and yet the Estreneo was able to violate the most sacred law for years, _Nessuna sperimentazione umana. _Mukuro massacred them to get away. You can pin that down on him."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed, he reached for his gun when he saw the panic look on her Guardians face.

"But as for the rest of his actions thereafter... it's all on me."

The Varia, Reborn, Colonnello, and Dino's eyes widened in shock, her Guardians along with Raven, Ken, and Chikusa readied their weapons.

"I ordered him to destroy all those Families. The _Pesce Famiglia_, the _Pagliaccio Famiglia, Sudore, Mescolare, Cuscino, _and many other Famiglia in northern Italy. I ordered all their deaths, of course only those who were actually part of the mafia, I told him to erase the memories of those who weren't."

"Why?"

Tsuki glanced at her tutor and shrugged, "Because they tried to kill me."

"What? Tsuki, what are you..." Dino wasn't sure if he wanted to ask the question.

"They didn't want to kill me personally, they were ordered to, they were promised wealth and fame in exchange for my death. We all know that Family from the North are rarely acknowledged by the underworld, why would they say no to an opportunity where they could rise up the ranks? Kill the little girl from Japan and the rest of the underworld will know your Famiglia. How could anyone say no to that?"

"Who ordered them?"

Tsuki smirked, "Who else? Your precious Nono's sons," her smirk widened at the look on her tutor's face. "I'm pretty sure Xanxus was the only one who didn't know I existed. Enrico, Massimo, Federico, they all tried their best to get rid of me, they had to be discreet about it though 'cause otherwise, it'll cause an uproar if words got out that a direct descendant of Vongola Primo—other than the young lion—existed. So they used the Families, who no one pays attention to, to get rid of the unnecessary competition. Even though they weren't entirely at fault, I still ordered their deaths, better them than me, they were willing to kill a kid who had no idea what was going on for a stupid reason, trash like that deserve to die. Mukuro wanted to destroy the Mafia, I gave him the way. Simple as that."

"And before you ask, I had nothing to do with their deaths, not in any shape or form." She barely reacted when a collar snaked around her neck.

"Juudaime!"

Takeshi and Ryohei readied their stance.

Kyoya covered his tonfas with his Flames.

Mukuro's eye was rapidly changing.

Chrome was gripping her trident.

Dino snapped his whip on the floor, his normally kind eyes narrowed dangerously, showing everyone the boss that the number one hitman in the world trained.

Raven was looking at her former tutor, wondering what he was going to do.

Colonnello was also glancing at him.

Squalo was looking at his boss from the corner of his eyes, readying his stance when he saw that he was closed to pulling the trigger.

The rest of the Varia was watching warily.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

The Vindice didn't answer her, they began pulling at the chain, which ended up disintegrating the moment they did.

"If you take me, you'll be taking one of Vongola's boss candidate, the boss candidate that the CEDEF Boss himself picked, and not to mention, someone who's related to the Family's founder. Do you really want to risk angering the most powerful Family in the underworld? There's the Sinclair Famiglia too, I don't think _Zio_ Kai is going to just sit back and relax while his favorite _Nipote _is in Vindice Prison. Then there's the Cavallone Famiglia, I'm their Don's beloved sister, and the members adore me. Three of the world's most powerful Famiglia will come knocking at your door, and they have majority of the Mafia at their beck and call, if you people deny them entry, there's a chance of World War III happening," she smirked, "huh, imagine that, I never thought I'd be Helen of Troy."

Xanxus made up his mind then and there, whatever happens after the Conflict, whether he wins or not, the young Sky would be his, he didn't give a flying fuck about the people who would surely be against it, he will _never _let her go. He'd be damned if he let someone like her slip through his fingers, there was no way he would ever meet someone like her again, not in this lifetime nor the next one.

Tsuki smirked when the Vindice began backing away.

"We will meet again, and when we do, we will take you and your family, and you will be imprisoned in the lowest level where no light and sound can ever reach you."

"What did you do?" Reborn asked the second they were gone.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"I prevented the imprisonment of three of my family _and _I avoided being imprisoned."

"Tsukiyomi!"

Collonnello and Viper were stunned, in all the years they've known him, they have never heard him raise his voice.

The young Sky gave him a blank look. She shook her head and began making her way to the exit, "I already know tomorrow's next battle. Knowing you, you probably saved our match for the last day."

"Hn."

She paused by the exit and asked, "Who are you, Reborn?"

Reborn looked a bit startled by her question.

She turned her head and met his eyes, "Are you my home tutor? Or Nono's loyal dog?"

The hitman's eyes widened.

"Give me the right answer, and I'll let you in on everything."

* * *

_Per sempre - _Forever

_Nessuna sperimentazione umana - _No human experimentation

_Zio - _Uncle

_Nipote_ \- Niece


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Cloud! The Revealed Truth!

"Took you long enough."

Tsuki ignored the bite in his tone, she sat down beside his head, lifting it and letting it rest on her thighs, "Thank you."

Xanxus didn't open his eyes when he replied, "The fuck are you on about?"

She pouted and began poking at his cheek, giggling when the older man grabbed her hand in annoyance. The younger of the two leaned down and pressed their lips together, pulling back before the man could deepen the kiss, causing him to open an eye and glare at her.

"I can't disintegrate things just by thinking it. I'm amazing, but not _that _amazing."

"Hn."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow when the older man continued to stare, "What?"

"Nothing," the Varia Sky replied. Threading his fingers through her hair, he pulled her head down and reacquainted their mouths.

_The gymnasium was silent as a grave after the young Sky left._

_Hayato sighed and turned to the quiet hitman, "Reborn-san, Juudaime... she has a lot of secrets, probably more than that bastard over there," he said nodding at Xanxus' direction, "she won't talk unless you give her a reason too. If you want to know who she really is..."_

_"Trust and loyalty," Takeshi said, "Tsuki value those more than anything in this world. If you can give her that, there's _nothing _she wouldn't do for you."_

_Ryohei nodded in agreement, "Sawada doesn't give her trust so easily, though, but she's an extremely smart girl."_

_Kyoya yawned. "The Small Animal knows bull when she sees one, no one can fool her. In every decisions and choices that she makes, there's always a reason for it."_

_"Bosu doesn't trust you, Sun Arcobaleno," Chrome blurted out, "despite all the times you guys spent together, she's never once trusted you. It's not because she doesn't want to, it's just that..."_

_"Kufufufu. Never underestimate the power of Vongola Hyper Intuition, combine that with her Woman Intuition, it'll be impossible to get past her defenses."_

"Xanxus?"

Her voice pulled the Varia Boss out of his thoughts, he opened his eyes and was met by her curious gaze.

"Where did you go?" she asked, nuzzling her nose against his.

"Hn." He sat up and pulled her in his lap with her back resting on his chest, "Memory lane."

"Hmm?" She leaned her head back and ignored the mark the older man was slowly making on the junction between her neck and shoulder, she figured it was the least she could do after what he did earlier, and everyone already knows about their tryst anyway.

"Something about what your trash Guardians said." He grunted when the girl pulled away, leaning an arm back, he raised an eyebrow when she turned her head to face him.

"What?"

Xanxus smirked, "Hn."

"Xanxus," Tsuki whined when the man ignored her question in favor of kissing her.

* * *

_"Well?"_

_"Bosu, you were right."_

_"As always, byon."_

_"Are we going to change tactics, Juudaime?"_

_Tsuki turned to them, "Iie."_

_Kyoya sighed, "You're going to make me hold back."_

_"Gomen, gomen. But it'd be a pain if you accidentally killed him. Just end it as quickly as possible."_

_Mukuro twirled his trident between his fingers, "Kufufufu. We're about to hit the climax of this game both you and Xanxus created. What happens after, Hime-sama?"_

_All heads turned to her._

_"My main concern is what happens during this conflict. What happens after... I'll leave that up to that person."_

* * *

Takeshi whistled upon seeing the battlefield for the Cloud match, "This match's battlefield looks fun."

"This is the field for the Cloud Guardian's battle. The Cloud Ground," the Cervello announced.

"They extremely messed up the Sports Field," Ryohei grumbled unhappily.

"Che. They even have gatling guns."

The Cervello continued explaining, "The mission of the Cloud Guardian is to be aloof—_a drifting Cloud whom cannot be bound. Protecting the Famiglia from an independent standpoint, _and whom nothing can ever bind. Therefore, we have prepared the most extreme field for him. The field is surrounded on all sides by barbed wire, as well as eight automatic batteries that will shoot at any mobile object it detects within a 30M radius. Furthermore, there are countless pressure-sensitive mines buried underground, once activated, an alarm will sound followed immediately by an explosion."

"Kufufufufu. What a crazy battlefield."

"If you're scared, run away," Levi taunted.

"Why would we be scared?" Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "There's no point in that. Kyoya is our ace."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed dangerously.

Squalo looked at him from the corner of his eyes. _This might get ugly..._

"And..." sunset-amber eyes softened, "Kyoya's my strongest Guardian. He won't lose."

Kyoya smirked, "Hn."

**_7 years ago_**

_Hibari Kyoya was a Carnivore, and everyone else around him, all of them are Herbivores, so it's his job to make sure that the precious place he grew up in will always be peaceful—by biting those who ruin the peace in Namimori to death. While he was making his rounds, his heightened instincts led him to where the trouble is, he expected to find the usual herbivores who never learned their lesson but instead, what he saw was far worse._

_His eyes widened in shock at the scene in front of him. Growing up in his household, he thought he's seen all kinds of things, torture, discipline, punishment, his Carnivorous parents ensured that their heir will grow up with his eyes wide open to the reality of the world. But he was never prepared for this._

_The small girl—and she was so, _so_ small, was being held down by two men bigger than her, one was holding a knife to her neck while his partner was..._

_Hibari Kyoya, for the first time in his life, felt his entire body shake in rage, "What... are you _Herbivores _doing?"_

_The one holding the knife scoffed, _"Kill the brat. We don't want him shouting for help."

_The other man glared, "_Why me? Why can't you do it? I'm busy here._"_

_Kyoya's eyes narrowed at the foreign words being spoken. _Italian...

_The girl's eyes widened when she felt the knife leave her neck, "Please! Don't involve him! He has nothing to do with this!"_

_The man in front of her slapped her so hard, his hand left a glaring red mark on her cheek, "Shut up."_

_The eight-year-old saw red, "Herbivores who hurt a girl... deserves to be bitten to death."_

_He charged towards the man making his way towards him, crashing his tonfa against his stomach, he jumped back to avoid the knife the herbivore slashed at him, not giving him time to pull his arm back, Kyoya slammed his tonfa on the hand holding the knife, sending it flying out of his hand and breaking the man's bones._

_"You fucking brat!"_

_The girl watched in awe as someone close to her age fought her assailants, he moved with such grace despite his young age with not a single move wasted. _He's... amazing. _She flinched back when the kid started making his way towards her, one look and she knew that those men were dead, and the fact that a kid killed them without any hesitation, didn't bother her at all._

_Kyoya stopped right in front of her, staring down at her unique colored eyes, he took off the jacket he was wearing and threw it at her. "Cover yourself."_

_Her face turned so red, he was worried she was going to pass out._

_"T-Thank you..." she muttered while putting the jacket on. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes at the unfamiliar scent that washed over her. _Warm, he's so warm.

_"Who are they?"_

_"I... I don't know... I... always don't know..."_

_Kyoya raised an eyebrow, "Always? This isn't the first time..."_

_The girl shook her head, "Iie... I've been attacked before, but this was the first time they managed to..." her cheeks turned redder._

_Kyoya's fists clenched, "Did they...?" He let out a sigh of relief when the girl shook her head._

_"Iie," she tightened the jacket around her, "you arrived before he could..." she looked down and bit her lip to stop the tears from falling. Her eyes widened when she felt a hand on her head._

_"Small Animal..."_

_The dam broke, tears started falling from her eyes without a hint of stopping._

_Kyoya watched as the Small Animal broke down, her small body shaking from the force of her tears._

_"I... (hiccup) I... don't want this... I (hiccup) don't want this to happen again."_

_She looked up and grasped the hand on her head, "Please... I... I want to get stronger... I want to have my own strength..."_

_A hard look spread across her face, making Kyoya's eyebrow raise._

_"I can't count on _that _person to save me, _he _will never come, the only one who can save me... and Okaa-san... is me. So please... please help me get stronger... I... I don't want to be so weak anymore!"_

_His eyes widened when her eyes began to glow, he felt something inside of him shift, like he was being pulled by the strange orange glow in her eyes. "Who are you?"_

_"Sawada Tsukiyomi."_

_He smirked, "Sawada Tsukiyomi," he leaned down and grasped her chin, "from now on, you're going to be mine."_

_Tsuki's eyes widened, "Wha—?"_

_"Until you acquire the strength to break free from me. You. Are. Mine."_

_Sunset-amber eyes hardened, "I'm not an object, Hibari-san."_

_The smirk on his face widened, "Hn."_

_"But..." she stood up and held his gaze, "if being yours means that you'll train me... then ok. I'll be yours."_

_Gray eyes and sunset-amber ones locked._

_"But one day, I'll break free, and no one, no one will ever claim me as easily."_

Tsuki raised an eyebrow when she caught the hard look that passed the Varia Boss' face. _What's up with him?_

"Tsuki, come on."

She shook her head and wrapped an arm around Takeshi's waist while her other one was wrapped around a still reluctant Cloud.

"Hibari! Fight!"

"Oh!"

Kyoya looked down and raised an eyebrow at the girl whose arm was still around him, "Small Animal?"

"I know you won't, but I'll still say it," she looked up and locked eyes with him, "don't you dare lose."

The Cloud grinned, "Who do you think I am?"

The younger Sky grinned back, she pulled away and watched as he began making his way to the battlefield.

Xanxus glared at the hand on his shoulder, "Scum..."

"Don't," Squalo glared back, "if you attack the brat, we lose, if you want to kill him, wait until the match is over, or better yet, let Gola Moska do its job."

The Varia Sky shrugged his hand off, "Hn."

Squalo breathed out a sigh of relief when his boss removed his hand from the inside of his jacket. _Looks like I managed to stop him. _He glanced sideways at the other Sky. _I wonder if there's something going on between the brat and her Cloud, she doesn't look like the type to two-time, though._

"Then we shall begin," the Cervello announced.

"The Cloud match, Hibari Kyoya vs. Gola Moska. Battle start!"

The back of Gola Moska's legs opened up, revealing two rockets hidden on each leg, allowing him to charge forward. Its fingers opened up as he charged, firing at the blank-faced teen.

"Kyoya must be really pissed," Dino commented as he watched the Gola Moska attacking his student, "the Gola Moska isn't even..."

Tsuki grinned when her Cloud ripped the robot's arm off with one swift hit of his tonfa, rendering the machine useless.

"In his sights," Dino finished with pride leaking out of his tone.

Both the Varia and the Cervello stared in shock as the teen pieced the two Half-Rings together.

Takeshi clutched his stomach, "Hahahahahaha."

"Oya? That was faster that I thought."

Hayato rolled his eyes, "What did you expect? He probably released all his irritation in that one strike."

Chrome, Ryohei, and Raven nodded in agreement.

Kyoya turned his head and gave the amused Small Animal a look, "Happy?" he asked sarcastically.

"Very," Tsuki replied with a grin on her face, "as an apology for making you go through such painful experience. After this whole thing is over, I'll fight you. No holding back."

Kyoya smirked, "I can't wait. But first..." he turned his head and looked at the Varia Boss, "the one sitting over there, come down here. You and I..." he raised his tonfas, "we have some business to attend to. Until I bite you to death, Monkey Boss of the Mountain Monkeys, I can't go home."

Levi's eyes widened, "What!?"

"Not 'what', Tako," Bel rebuked.

"Tako!?"

"We've lost this conflict," Lussuria said in a grim tone.

Mammon turned to the silent man, "What now, Boss?"

Squalo sighed in defeat, "There's no stopping him now."

His fellow Varia turned to him in confusion, before the Rain could say anything, his boss jumped up, heading straight for the teen who challenged him.

Kyoya smirked and jumped up, blocking the foot of the Varia Boss with a tonfa, said boss—using the tonfa—propelled himself up, back flipping in the air and landing on the ground, crouched down.

"My foot slipped."

"I'm sure."

Xanxus smirked, "No, really," an alarm sounded below him, he jumped to the side just as the mine exploded, "I was just going over to retrieve that piece of shit. We've lost."

Kyoya's face remained blank, "Hm? Your face tells a different story." He made his way towards the older man, stopping only a foot away, he smirked and said in a low tone, "You really think I'm going to give her to you? Monkey King."

Xanxus' fingers twitched as he glared at the smirking teen, "Scum..."

"Oi Xanxus! You can't raise your hand against him!" Squalo bellowed.

Levi gritted his teeth, "That brat is mocking the Boss."

"Hold it, Sulky Face," Bel said.

"Sulky Face!?"

"We've already lost the battle, if we get into a fight, it'll be seen as mutiny against the soon-to-be Decimo, they'll have our heads along with the Boss'."

"You're saying we should just let that impudent brat do as he pleases?" Levi demanded indignantly.

"Well, he seems to be scheming something, our boss," the prince said, he turned his head to look at the silver-haired man, "right, Squalo?"

The young Cloud smirked, "Heh, you won't raise a hand? I'm still going to bite you to death."

A hand grabbed his tonfa before he could attack.

"Kyoya."

Hayato's eyes widened, "Juudaime!"

"I didn't... even see her move..." Dino muttered, staring at the battlefield in shock.

"What are you doing?" Tsuki asked with an unreadable look on her face. Ignoring the stare of the other Sky, she kept her gaze focused on her Guardian.

Her Cloud shrugged, "Nothing. I was just telling him something."

His Sky rolled her eyes, "Don't think I didn't hear what you said. I don't belong to anyone, not to _him, _and not to _you_, Kyoya," she let go of his tonfa and gave him look. "Not anymore."

**_3 years ago_**

_Takeshi stared in disbelief at the sight in front of him, "S-Sugoi... Tsuki..."_

_"She defeated the Skylark," Mukuro said with the same look on his face._

_Ryohei watched speechless as his little sister threw the tonfa in her hand away. Both pre-teens were covered in sweat, bruises, and blood, their clothes had various tears here and there. The two had been fighting for almost half the day, their appearance matched those who just came out of a war alive._

_Tsuki stared down at the Skylark lying on his back, "I won, Kyoya... I no longer... belong to you..."_

_"Wao," the Skylark closed his eyes and smiled. "You're free, Omnivore."_

"I stopped being yours three years ago."

"What!?" Dino exclaimed in shock, he turned to her Guardians, "Those two were...?"

"Iie, iie, iie," Mukuro, Takeshi, and Ryohei denied.

"Umm... it's kind of complicated," Takeshi said sheepishly.

Mukuro and Ryohei nodded in agreement.

Kyoya smirked, "Hn."

Tsuki shook her head, "Stop suggesting that something's going on between us just to piss Xanxus off. You're going to make Chrome cry."

"What!?" the Cavallone Boss exclaimed again.

Chrome blinked, "Iie, Bosu. I'm fine. It's kind of amusing."

"Matte... was Boss..." Bel trailed off in disbelief.

"_That's _why he attacked!?" Lussuria exclaimed.

The young Sky looked skyward, "This is so not the time for this shit." Her eyes suddenly narrowed, "Kyoya."

"Hn."

The Cervello watched in confusion as the young Cloud started running towards the fallen machine without triggering anything, "What's—"

"Ah, those," Raven cut off. She raised a hand and showed the remote she was holding, "I deactivated everything after Kyoya won."

"Eh?"

Tsuki met his gaze and said, "First strike."

Xanxus smirked, "I thought so."

Kyoya's eyes narrowed when the machine's head looked up at him, "Useless." He began striking at the machine, ripping its other arm off, he watched in boredom as it stood, "You're wasting my time," with one final strike, he sliced the Gola Moska in half.

Dino's eyes widened, "Inside the Moska... that's..."

A gun clicked.

"It's not nice to point with that thing," Tsuki said, not bothering to look at him, "Reborn."

He ignored the sword and the two trident pointed at him, "What have you done, Tsukiyomi?"

The girl blinked, "Me? I didn't do anything," she turned to the grinning boss, "this is all on him."

Ryohei walked towards the field and knelt beside the fallen body of Vongola Nono, "He's alive, he should be completely fine after I'm done healing him, but he'll need tons of rest."

Tsuki rolled her eyes when she saw the hitman watching intently as Ryohei healed the old man, "You really think Onii-san's going to do something?"

"You're his boss."

Tsuki's face turned impassive in an instant, "You seriously think I had something to do with this. You think I'm in cahoots with Xanxus."

Reborn stared back just as impassively, "Why wouldn't I? You were quick to fuck him."

"O-Oi, Reborn—" Dino flinched when his ex-tutor turned his gaze on him.

"Be quiet. This has nothing to do with you."

"So that's your answer," she muttered. She shook her head and met her tutor's eyes, "I had nothing to do with this. If you don't want to believe that, suit yourself. I don't have to prove anything to you."

The Varia Boss' laugh resonated in the field, "I didn't know the so-called number one hitman in world was so easy to fool," he grinned as the hitman glared at him, "the brat had nothing to do with this. If anything, she ruined everything."

The hitman's eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about?"

Xanxus continued to grin, "She ruined my plan."

"Voi, Xanxus, why the hell do you look so amused? Your plan fucked up," his right-hand man pointed out.

Dino was officially confused, "Plan?"

"He was going to goad Juudaime into beating the Gola Moska until it breaks..."

"Killing Nono in the process..."

"With Nono's death by her hands..."

"Kufufu. Xanxus can kill her without having to worry about anything..."

"Since he'll be doing it an act of vengeance for his father's death."

Squalo's eyes widened in surprise and shock, "You... how did you...?"

"The Small Animal told us. She knew everything, right from the very beginning," the Skylark answered.

Tsuki grinned, "Second strike."

Reborn's hand tightened around his gun, "You knew? And yet you still allowed everything to happen."

"I am curious, though, Vasílissa," the older Sky ignored the look the nickname got him, "how did you know?"

"I told you last night that I also did my homework. After I found out that the Varia was on their way, I sent Ken, Chikusa, and Chrome to Italy to investigate. Imagine my surprise when I heard that you planned for a machine to be your Cloud," Tsuki smirked, "Gola Moska, I became curious, why would a man like Xanxus choose a piece of junk as his Cloud Guardian? At first I thought you did it to mock us, but then, you could always do that yourself."

Xanxus smirked, "Hn."

"So I asked a friend of mine what kind of a machine it was, that person told me that Gola Moska was a machine that requires a human life force that could use a strong Dying Will Flame to fuel it, otherwise it won't work. Now that really got my curiosity going, why would Xanxus need something like that? How would that benefit him? As strong as the machine is, if you don't meet its requirement, it's just a huge piece of junk. Unless, of course, you already had the means to meet the said requirement. A human with a strong Dying Will Flame, a life force that he wouldn't mind sacrificing especially if that life force belong to someone he despise..." Tsuki nodded towards the body her Sun was still healing, "Vongola Nono."

"If you knew all that, why didn't you say anything? You could have ended everything before it came to this, why didn't you?"

The Sky sighed, she turned to her lover and asked, "Would that stop you from your goal?"

Xanxus scoffed, "Iie."

"Thought so," she turned her attention back to her tutor, "even if I prevented this conflict from happening, Xanxus would find other ways to become boss, and that would be even more troublesome. It was better to play in a game where I have control than to play in one where he has all the cards."

"Tsuki, you put, not just Nono's life but also your Guardians' life, on the line, just so you could have a few cards to play?"

Tsuki glared at him, "Their lives were already on the line, Reborn. The moment you arrived in my life and told me that I was going to be the boss of fucking Vongola, our fates were sealed. They wouldn't have left even if I told them to. And as for Nono's life, what does that have to do with me? _Xanxus_ kidnapped him, _Xanxus_ was the one using him as a battery, _Xanxus_ was the one who wanted him dead, not me."

"And you kept quiet about it! That's the problem, Tsuki!"

"Yeah, well, that's not _my_ problem."

Reborn's eyes widened at her nonchalant answer, "What?"

"You, Iemitsu, hell—Vongola, how is it my fault you people were oblivious about everything? You always claim to be the world's number one hitman, Nono _himself _sent you to Japan to train _me _to be Decimo and yet, you immediately believed 'Nono's' letter. Iemitsu's the young lion of Vongola, the CEDEF's boss, Nono's external adviser and yet, he was so quick to believe that Nono suddenly changed his mind and decided he wanted Xanxus to be his heir after all. You and him didn't even find _that _a bit suspicious? After the shit Xanxus pulled eight years ago? You really believed Nono would suddenly name someone who staged a coup against the Family his heir? And how in the world did Vongola not know that the Nono they have was fake? If the Varia was able to attack Nono without alerting _anyone, _not even his Guardians, you really gotta tighten the security around him. You'd think they would have done that already after the whole Cradle Affair. So really, Reborn, you're blaming this on me?"

Xanxus stared at the young Sky with a mixture of desire and awe in his eyes, his subordinates were staring at her with respect, her family didn't bother hiding the smirk/grin on their face, Dino was staring at his little sister with a look of wonder, Raven was watching everything with an amused look.

"You knew about the Cradle Affair."

"Oi, you shouldn't extremely move yet."

Tsuki turned to Nono and nodded, "Aa."

"Ano... what's the Cradle Affair?" Dino asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Raven, who was also clueless, nodded beside him.

"Eight years ago, Xanxus led the largest coup d'état in Vongola history, the fact that it was led by Nono's son, the entire thing was treated with utmost secrecy, the only ones who know the truth are the Family's upper echelon and the Vongola's highest elite who fought in the battle, he failed, though."

Tsuki shrugged at the scandalized look on Reborn and Nono's face, "Mukuro's really good at finding this sort of thing. He was more than willing to share this information after we sorted out our differences."

"Kufufufufufu."

Nono sighed and closed his eyes, "Reborn, none of this is her fault, the one at fault... was me..."

"Nono..." Reborn looked down and clenched his fist, "she's right, though... we should have notice—"

"Iie, Reborn," Nono cut off, "I'm sorry... all of this happened because of my own weakness... my weakness that... allowed Xanxus to wake up from his long sleep..."

"What do you mean by sleep? After the Cradle Affair, Xanxus was cast out of the Family and kept under strict surveillance by the Vongola, wasn't he?"

Nono coughed, "Xanxus was stopped eight years ago... since then, he'd been asleep, while his hatred and his grudge grew to frightening proportions..."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow.

Nono began coughing.

"You really shouldn't be talking that much. You're wasting the Flame Onii-san used to heal you."

"Tsukiyomi, you hate me..."

"Not really. I don't care about you enough to actually hate you."

"That maybe so, but... I've always wanted to meet you, I've been hearing news about you from Reborn. I was as shock as he was when I found out that Iemitsu's information about you was wrong, but despite that, I still wanted you to be my heir."

"Not a wise choice I must say. I've said it before and I'm saying it again, I don't care about Vongola. You don't know me. The girl you named heir, she's not me, because as you can see, I'm not as innocent as you'd like me to be."

"I know that now. I know now how different you are, but..." Nono smiled, "I still choose you to be the tenth boss of Vongola."

Tsuki shook her head, "Careful, Nono, you might end up regretting that decision."

"If that happens. I'll blame no one but myself."

"What now, Tsuki?"

"Hm?" She turned to her tutor with a raised eyebrow.

"You can end all this now. You foiled Xanxus' plan. So what now?"

"You're leaving that decision to me?"

"Do whatever you want. My patience has ran out."

Dino and Raven's eyes widened.

"But you're still my student, so I will honor my promise to the ninth boss and not interfere with your battles. Having said that, Tsuki, you're not going to do it, are you?"

Tsuki smirked, "Why would I do something like that?" she turned and locked eyes with the Varia Boss, "Knowing how the Cervello's mind work, the Sky Battle will probably involve everyone, an all-out battle between _us_ and _them_? Doesn't that sound fun?"

Xanxus grinned.

"I don't do things half-assed. The game's still on," the younger boss declared.

"Shishishi. An all-out battle, the prince approve."

"A chance to have a rematch against you. It will be my pleasure."

"Haha. Hayato's sure fired up."

"Vooooi, brat! Don't think you'll be able to beat me again!"

"Oh, a rematch, that sounds fun!"

"Aa. I'm extremely looking forward to fighting you again, Lussuria."

"Kufufufufufu."

"Hmph, I'm not getting paid enough for this."

"Hn, I'm going to beat that brat again and show that I'm the only one worthy of the Lightning Ring."

"You'll be bitten to death before that happens."

"Bosu, everyone's all fired up."

Xanxus chuckled darkly, "Look at what you started, Vasílissa."

Tsuki gave him an amused look, "Don't act like you're not looking forward to it."

The older man shrugged, "Never said I wasn't. Cervello."

"Hai? Xanxus-sama?"

"Declare it," he ordered, gaze still focused on the girl.

"Hai. Then tomorrow night, will everyone please assemble at Nami Chuu? Tomorrow night's battle will be declared as the Sky Ring Battle."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow when the older boss walked towards her.

"Tomorrow will be the final chapter in this happy comedy," he opened his palm in front of her, "look forward to it."

Tsuki took the Half-Ring with a smirk on her face, "Trust me. I will."

Xanxus smirked back.

* * *

"We have company," Xanxus grunted against her lips.

"Hmm," Tsuki moaned as she pulled back. Looking over her shoulder, she asked the expressionless hitman, "Aren't you supposed to be with Nono?"

"We need to talk."

She met the hitman's eyes and stared.

Xanxus watched lazily as the girl got off his lap, grabbing the Varia jacket he took off before standing up as well. He began buttoning his shirt while watching the student and tutor's staring contest.

"Brat."

Tsuki turned her head to him and blinked when her lips met his, she sighed happily before pulling back, rolling her eyes when the Varia Boss' eyes flickered to her tutor tauntingly. "Don't start. I'll see you later."

"Hn. Don't tell me what to do," the older man drawled, giving her one final peck on the lips, he smirked at the hitman before walking off.

"What do you want to talk about?" Tsuki asked the moment she was sure he was out of earshot.

Reborn continued to stare at his student with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Reborn?"

"_Why?"_

_Raven and Dino looked at each other in confusion before looking back at their former tutor._

"_What are you talking about, Reborn?" the older of the two asked._

"_Why did you give her your loyalty? After the whole stunt earlier, are you two planning on betraying Vongola?"_

_Raven shook her head, "Iie. The Vongola Famiglia and the Sinclair Famiglia have been allies since Primo's time, I don't intend to break that alliance. The Sinclair will continue to be their ally no matter who becomes Decimo. But... I will support Tsuki with whatever she decides, I'll stand by her even if she doesn't become Decimo."_

"_Me too, Reborn," Dino agreed. "You're asking us why? You already know the answer to that. Tsuki _is _your student."_

"_You know... it's not a sin to bond with a new Sky," Raven said, her eyes softening when she saw her former tutor freeze, "the more you try to keep her at arm's length, the more you try to reject her, the further you will push her away. Tsuki's not going to chase after you, she would never force you to accept her. That's the kind of girl she is, she won't act unless you give her a reason to, and you've never once given her a reason, because every time you feel the warmth of her Flames, you run."_

"_Reborn, you're making both yourself and her miserable. You really can't blame her for not telling you anything. I'm upset too, I've lost count of how many times I've been surprised and confused ever since I met her," Dino shook his head in annoyance, "don't even get me started on her relationship with Xanxus. But the thing is, I may not know everything, all I know is that I trust Tsuki, I trust that she knows what she's doing, and that one day, she'll tell me everything. That's enough for me to stay loyal to her despite all her secrets."_

_Raven stared at the quiet hitman, "Is that enough for you, Reborn?"_

The Sun Arcobaleno looked down, "Dame-Tsuki..."

Tsuki's eyes widened, "Reborn..." she muttered staring at her tutor in disbelief. "You..."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Long Awaited Climax!

"Yo."

"Aa."

"Usu."

Hayato raised an eyebrow, "Is Oyaji coming?"

Takeshi shook his head, "Iie, he's going to stay with Mama and the kids. Mama's too worried."

"The rest of the Guardians?"

"Kyoya, Mukuro, and Chrome are probably there already," Ryohei answered.

The Storm nodded before turning around, "Then, let's go."

"Aa."

Xanxus' brows furrowed when he didn't see her, even though the trash from her side were already present.

"Kufufufu. Looking for her, Xanxus?"

The older Sky's eyes narrowed.

The Cervello turned to look at them, "We have been expecting you. The Guardians for Sawada's side... Storm, Sun, Rain, Mist, and Cloud are all here, but..."

"Where is Sawada Tsukiyomi?"

"She should be on her way," Takeshi answered, putting his hands behind his head, he looked around until he found the rest of the Varia. "Haha. Tsuki did a good job, she did say she wanted everyone present for the last level."

Hayato scoffed and crossed his arms to his chest, "Of course, Juudaime is amazing after all."

"Kufufufufu, that and... she always seem to know how to get what she wants."

"What did you expect?"

All heads turned to the direction of her voice, Xanxus' eyebrow twitched upon seeing what she was wearing. _You've gotta be shitting me._

Tsuki blinked at the dark look that crossed the older boss' face, "What's wrong with you?"

"What the fuck are you wearing?"

She looked down at what she was wearing and asked, "School uniform?"

"That's not your school uniform."

Tsuki smirked, "You would know~" she teased, blowing the older man a kiss before making her way to her unamused Guardians.

The Cervello nodded at each other, "It seems like almost all the Guardians who are still alive are here."

"Almost?" Takeshi looked around confusedly, "But everyone's here."

"Iie, not everyone, all Guardians must comply with the compulsory summon."

Sunset-amber eyes narrowed, "Compulsory summon...?"

"Let Lambo-san go! Tanukibaba!"

"Lambo/Ahoshi!"

The air around them shifted. Xanxus smirked at the aura the younger boss was emitting, feeling giddy about their upcoming match.

"Why is he here?"

The Cervello swallowed nervously, one of them tried to answer but couldn't find the voice to with how intensely the teen was staring at them.

"Haven't I already said that I don't want him here?"

The Cervello managed to gather a bit of strength and said, "It... it is a compulsory summon, all Guardians must adhere to it."

They both flinched when the younger Sky glared at them, both took a shaky step back before breathing a sigh of relief when she turned her attention to the one holding her Lightning Guardian.

"Let him go."

The short-haired Cervello flinched but refused the command, "The Lightning Guardian must participate in this match."

"Either you let him go, or I'm going to break both your fucking arm."

The Varia watched with wide eyes as the girl suddenly appeared in front of the Cervello holding the cow-brat, their jaw dropping when she made good on her threat.

"Gaahhhhh!"

"You bitches have been testing my patience since this whole shit started. I'm done playing nice."

"Neh, neh, Dame-Tsuki, are we playing a game?" Lambo asked while picking his nose.

"Oi Ahoshi, come here."

"Aho-dera! Don't insult Lambo-san!"

"Hmmm, looks like Rokudo cast an illusion around the brat, he didn't see what happened," Mammon said, watching the cow-child ran to the other brats without looking at the pink-haired woman whose arms were bent at an odd angle.

"Tch. Can't tell if she's a demon or an angel," Squalo grumbled.

"Maybe she's both," Lussuria offered.

"Don't push, Cervello."

Their attention went back to the girl.

Tsuki looked over her shoulder at the two Cervello, "I don't have to hide anymore. I'm free to do whatever I want without having to worry about how a certain hitman is going to react."

"Hmph. That doesn't mean you can go on a rampage, Dame-Tsuki. If you're itching for violence, turn your attention to Xanxus."

Tsuki gave him an amused look, "I'd itch for something different if I turn my attention to him."

The Varia members felt their jaw dropping further at the bold statement.

A shit-eating grin spread across Xanxus' face, "You've gotten bolder, Vasílissa_._"

The girl grinned back, a teasing glint flashing in her eyes, "Oh, you have no idea just how bold I could be."

The grin on his face widened, lust was beginning to flash in his red eyes.

"That's enough, Dame-Tsuki."

"Hai, hai," Tsuki ignored the other Cervello taking the heaving woman—whose arms, she broke—and began making her way back to her Guardians.

"Sawada-san..."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow at the Cervello, "You're shaking, relax. I'd go along with your stupid rules. I'll just kill Levi if he so much as touch a single hair from his Afro."

Said man felt his body freezing at the sweet smile the girl sent him.

"Shishishi. You're a deadman walking."

"Oi, woman. Get on with it."

The Cervello actually turned to the younger boss before following his order, only starting when she gave them a nod.

"Tonight's match, the Sky Battle, will put both the Sky Rings and the lives of the six Guardians at stake."

"Firstly, we will collect all the Guardian's Rings."

"After we fought like mad to get this, we have to give it back? That's not extreme at all," Ryohei grumbled as he handed off his ring.

"If you are a true Guardian, there's nothing to worry about."

"In the end, the Vongola Rings will return to their true owner anyway."

"You mean Xanxus, right?"

The Cervello didn't say anything.

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "You guys suck at pretending you're not his bitches. You should switch jobs, you're making me depress with how obvious you women are."

"Is it her time of the month or something? She's on a roll," Squalo said, feeling a slight pity for the women facing the younger Sky.

"Hn. Unlikely."

Squalo rolled his eyes, "_Of course_ you would know."

"We have taken them into custody," the Cervello announced, showing both sides where the rings were nestled.

"In that case, we will now explain the rules of the Sky Battle. The Sky Battle will be similar to the other Guardians, one of the conditions for victory is to join the two halves of the Ring. However, the battlefield will be, the entire school. In order to watch such wide battle field, we have installed large-screen displays at the observation box as well as various other locations. Also, the Guardians will be using these wristbands installed with a camera-equipped monitor."

The Cervello went around and distributed the wristbands.

"I see, it's like a little TV," Ryohei commented.

"Gyahahahahaha. Dame-Tsuki, Lambo-san can your face!"

"Haha. It's a super-close up of Tsuki."

The young Sky pouted.

"Sawada-san, who's going to take the role of your Mist Guardian in this match? You can't have both of them participating."

Tsuki blinked, "Now that you mention it..." she turned to her Mists, "you guys decide."

"Oya?" Mukuro looked at his counterpart and suggested, "Want to flip a coin?"

The Varia sweat dropped.

"Are they..." Lussuria trailed off when he saw Mukuro flipping a coin.

Levi stared in disbelief, "They really did..."

"Haha. Looks like it's Chrome's turn to shine."

"Then Dokuro Chrome will participate in the Sky Match, any form of outside interference from the other Mist will result in Sawada Tsukiyomi's disqualification. So then, would all the Guardians please put on your wristbands. Then make your way to the respective fields of your own battles."

"Huh? Our battlefield? What's the point of that?" Levi asked.

"We are not entertaining any questions. If you do not follow the rules, you will be disqualified."

"Damn annoying bitches," Hayato grumbled.

"Shishishi. So we're not just watching the fight, eh? Sounds like fun."

"Yosh! It's time for our final circle! Let's go!"

"Sawada! Fight!"

"Oh!"

"Kora! Looks like we made it just in time!"

Tsuki's eyes softened when she saw her family, "You guys are late."

"Like hell," Raven scoffed. She made her way to Takeshi and wrapped an arm around his neck, leaning up and whispering against his lips, "We made it just in time."

"Lucky bastard," Shamal mumbled. "Well, I came here to collect your ashes."

"I just came to jeer," Colonnello quipped.

Hayato's eyebrow twitched, "Rude assholes."

"There's no way we're going to miss this, byon."

The bespectacled teen nodded.

Dino hugged his little sister, "_Buona fortuna, sorellina._"

"Oi, you two, that's enough!" Hayato scolded, glaring at the two teens.

Takeshi pulled away and grinned sheepishly, "Gomen, gomen."

Raven glared back, "Dick."

"Bitch," the Storm retorted.

"Maa, maa."

Chrome turned to her boss, her head tilted to the side, "Bosu, aren't you going to do it too?"

Hearing what the purple-haired teen said, all heads turned to her direction.

Tsuki shrugged, "Why would I? We're not even that kind of lovers," she said, ignoring the burning glare of the man.

"Of course."

The girl didn't bother to look at the newcomer like the rest did, "You came."

"_Sì_."

The newcomer smirked, his hair was red and was styled like he just woke up from a nap, his eyes were the shame shade of purple as Raven's, and he was almost as tall as Takeshi.

Lussuria raised an eye brow, recognizing the teen, "Isn't that..."

"Aa," Squalo confirmed, "the guy who turned down the position of boss, Sinclair Ren. Raven's older brother."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed when the teen nonchalantly wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Tsuki wouldn't do that to me. I was nice enough to look past her actions during this Conflict, but I won't tolerate her calling Xanxus her _lover_. I'd be hurt, I am her fiancée after all."

"What!?" Dino exclaimed along with the Varia.

Ren jumped up to avoid the blast the older boss shot at him, "That was close."

"Scum..."

Dino turned to his little sister and whined, "Mou, Tsuki, this is so not fair, why am I the only one in the dark? Even Reborn wasn't surprised anymore, Colonnello and Shamal doesn't count, I'm your big brother!"

Tsuki rolled her eyes, refusing to meet _his _burning gaze, she said, "He's not my fiancée... not yet anyway."

Ren grinned and elaborated, "We made a deal, if she wins and becomes the boss of Vongola, we're going to get married, our marriage will not only strengthen the alliance of our families, it would also do wonders to her image." He smirked at the Varia Boss glaring daggers at him, "Don't look at _me _like that, this was Tsuki's idea, she called me this morning and proposed. Who am I to say no to such beauty?"

"O-Oi... Xanxus..." Squalo stared nervously as the dormant scars on his boss' face started to emerge.

Tsuki finally met his eyes and raised an amused eyebrow, "Why so pissed? Is it because I insinuated that I was going to win, or..." she purposely trailed off, smirking at the fuming boss, she confronted the elephant in the room, "we're not _lovers_, Xanxus. Don't tell me you actually thought we were? You didn't, right? Because that'd be stupid, we both know we were just playing a game," a chill ran down her spine at the intensity of his glare, his red eyes were burning with so much rage and hatred, she was almost tempted to take back what she said, but she didn't. _Time to start the final level and finally end this game_. "Neh, Xanxus, everything was a game, right?"

Everyone held their breaths as the two bosses stared at each other.

Tsuki watched all emotions leaving the older Sky's face, but not before catching the look of betrayal that flashed in his eyes moments before his face became impassive and his scars receded. _Xanxus..._

A blood-thirsty grin spread across the Varia Boss' face, "Hn. But of course, you were just an easy lay. A toy I'm about to break."

The look on her face stopped her Guardians from retaliating.

_Juudaime..._

_Tsuki..._

_Sawada..._

_Bosu..._

_Hime-sama..._

_Small Animal..._

Reborn hid his eyes with the rim of his fedora. _You're playing a dangerous gamble, Dame-Tsuki._

"Let's get this game fucking over with," Tsuki said, she turned to her Guardians and nodded, "I'll see you guys later."

"Hah, this will be the last time you see them alive, trash."

Tsuki fought down a flinch.

"I'm going to kill them, and then I'm going to kill you, and I'll enjoy every second of it."

The younger Sky faced him and smirked, "Good luck with that."

"All the Guardians, please go to your respective areas."

Reborn jumped up to Dino's shoulder, "You better win this, Dame-Tsuki, or else everything would have been for naught."

His student grinned, "What makes you think I won't? I won _you,_ didn't I?"

"Hmph, you've gotten even more cheekier."

Ren walked towards her, "I better not die, _Dea_," he leaned down and whispered, "if I die by the hands of your jealous lover, I'm going to find a way to leave the afterlife just so I could take you back with me. I can't believe you'd be foolish enough to play with a fucking beast."

"I've been playing with him from the very beginning..." Tsuki looked down to hide the smile on her face. "Well, at least now I know what game he's playing."

The teen straightened and shook his head, "You're the goddamn devil, I don't know why majority thinks you're a goddess."

"Must be my pretty face."

Ren smirked, "Must be. I'll stop talking now," he gave the Varia Boss watching them a glance over his shoulder, "before the big boss over there disintegrate me."

"Hn."

"Looks like everyone has arrived to their respective areas," the Cervello announced.

"What's with this pole...?" Ryohei wondered, staring up at the said pole.

The Cervello began explaining, "At the top of each of the poles set at the fields are the Rings that match the field."

Hayato's eyes narrowed, "Ring? That means..."

Bel grinned, "We'll be fighting too."

"You're all free to do so."

"That is... if you're able to."

The wristband the Guardians were wearing suddenly glowed red.

Tsuki's eyes widened, "What the hell was that!?"

"Just then, all the Guardians were injected with a poison administered from their wristbands."

Mismatched eyes narrowed, "Poison?"

"What?" the younger Sky hissed.

Xanxus smirked.

Tsuki stared as the Guardians began to fall, one by one.

"My body..." Levi grunted.

Chrome whimpered, "It's hot..."

Bel gritted his teeth.

"I-Itai..." Lambo sobbed.

"This poison is called the Death Heater, once administered, it will paralyze the victim's nerves instantly, even standing up will prove difficult. Then, a burning pain will spread throughout the body, increasing gradually, until 30 minutes later... the victim will die."

Shamal's eyes widened, "What!?"

"Wh-What's the meaning of this!?" Ken demanded, "It's supposed to be the Sky Battle, so why is everyone involved like this!?"

"Because as the Sky, it's our destiny... or something like that..." Tsuki answered before the Cervello could. "_Sun, Lightning, Storm, Rain, Mist, Cloud. The Sky envelops them all, the Sky accepts them all. That is the Sky's purpose. _This is a match where the Guardians' lives are entrusted in our hands—the boss."

"You look calm, Tsuki," Raven observed.

Tsuki shook her head, "Iie. I'm pissed off to the point of death."

The Cervello shared an uneasy glance before continuing, "There is only one way to stop the progression of the poison."

"That is to insert the matching ring into each Guardian's wristband. Once the ring is inserted into the indentation, it will activate the mechanism to administer the Death Heaters' antidote stored in the wristband."

"So... this battle is not only for the Sky Ring. The Guardian's Rings have also become a crucial element," Reborn said.

The Cervello nodded, "Exactly."

"Therefore, the condition for the victory in the Sky Battle is simply this. You must acquire all the Vongola Rings. Use this chain to collect the full set of the Vongola Rings."

Tsuki accepted the chain, "Let's start this," she said after attaching the chain on the belt loops of her skirt and wearing her gloves.

"Very well. One last thing, once the battle started, any outside interference from non-participating personnel is forbidden."

Tsuki caught his fist before it could hit her, "You're too excited, Xanxus."

"Xanxus-sama! Not yet...!"

Xanxus pulled his fist back and smirked, "Let's start this... wasn't that what she said?"

"Hai... but..."

"It's fine. You don't have to act like you have any control in this match," Tsuki quipped, she clenched her fist and activated her flames, "he's not the only one eager to start this."

"Tsuki, you of all people should know that Xanxus is not an opponent you can fight half-heartedly—"

"Reborn," his student cut off, "I don't intend to fight him half-heartedly. I don't even have to focus on anything but him."

"But, Tsuki-chan, your Guardians are-"

"Going to be fine," Tsuki interrupted the doctor, "_that_ person is there, he'll handle their side of the battle, they'll be fine. My battle is right here."

"You're still as confident as ever."

The younger Sky grinned, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"If you wish to observe the battle, come this way. Hurry, please! The observation box is at the back of the school building. Like the Guardian Battles, please do not step out of the boundary of the infra-red sensors."

"Now, the Sky Ring, Xanxus vs. Sawada Tsukiyomi, battle start!"

"Finally," Xanxus grinned.

Tsuki charged towards him and sent a powerful strike in his direction which the Varia Boss managed to avoid, she sent another strike, gritting her teeth when he also avoided it. She caught his elbow before it could strike her, backflipping in the air to avoid the kick he sent after. She stayed in the air and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Shamal whistled, "Well, well, that's some speed, who knew the goddess could keep up against him?"

The look on Xanxus' face turned almost maniacal, "Hn."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed when his hand started to glow.

Reborn, knowing what he was gonna do, voiced out, "This guy is trouble."

Tsuki propelled herself higher just seconds before his Flame of Wrath reached her. She stared wide eyed at the destruction his Flames left, "Fuck..."

Mukuro gritted his teeth, hand tightening around his trident, "That's reinforced concrete on the building."

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Raven muttered, "I knew he was strong, but I didn't think he'll be _this _strong."

"It's the Flame of Wrath," Reborn grimly confirmed.

"Fuhahaha," Xanxus stared at her with an amused look, "how long are you going to run? Come at me, _Dea,_" he spat out the word like it was poison inside his mouth.

Tsuki's eyebrows rose. _So he heard that._

"Do you know why Primo, who used the same gloves weapon as you, ran away to Japan and retired there?"

"You're going to give me history lessons?"

Xanxus smirked, "Hn. It's because he feared a battle with Secondo."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow.

"If the Wrath Flame had crushed his weakly Dying Will Flames, it would disgrace his name of being the strongest," his hand glowed with his Flames, "he was afraid of this Flames."

"Would you like to test it out?"

Xanxus's brows furrowed.

"Your Wrath Flame and my Sky Flame. Shall we see which is stronger?

"What?"

Mukuro gritted his teeth, "What are you planning, Hime-sama?"

Tsuki's hands began to glow brighter, letting it die a little before charging towards Xanxus.

"She's serious!?" Colonnello exclaimed in shock.

Xanxus threw his head back and laughed, "You really are reckless!" he barked out, a serious expression came over his face, "I didn't know you wanted to die so badly."

Tsuki ignored him, she raised her fist and continued to charge.

"Then, die!"

The spectators watched the two Sky clash, eyes widening at the force of their attack.

Reborn smiled when his student overpowered the older boss and sent him flying and crashing to the side of the school building.

Shamal was impressed, "O... ooh... the goddess..."

"She overpowered him!" Ken guffawed.

"_This _is the result of her training?" Colonnello asked, raising an eye brow when the hitman shook his head.

"Kufufufufu. Between Xanxus, her Guardians, and her schemes, do you really think she had the time to train?"

Colonnello stared at him in confusion, "What are you...?"

Mukuro smiled mysteriously before turning his attention back to the screen.

Tsuki charged towards the Varia Boss, eyes narrowing when she heard the familiar sound of his guns charging. _So he's finally gonna use that._ She slid to the ground and avoided the shot he fired, but she wasn't able to avoid the next shot he fired seconds later.

"It penetrated the Flame shield on her suit," Colonnello said.

Xanxus shot his Flames on the ground and propelled himself up, "Would you look at that. Looks like I really did end up pulling out my guns against you."

Tsuki stood and smirked at the slightly annoyed-looking boss, "Told you."

Xanxus stared blankly as the girl started laughing.

"Secondo's Flame and Settimo's gun, what a terrible combination," Tsuki shook her head in amusement, she smiled at the other boss and said, "you really are the epitome of the Mafia's darkness, Xanxus."

The older Sky grinned maniacally in reply.

The audience watched the two dancing around in the sky with Xanxus avoiding all of Tsuki's attacks thanks to the increased speed his guns provided.

"He's increasing his speed by using the bullets in his guns for his propulsion force," Colonnello observed, a hint of awe in his tone.

Even Reborn was impressed, "What a guy, not even Secondo nor Settimo could perform that move."

"Scatter into dust," Xanxus taunted, shooting at her when he managed to catch her off guard.

Tsuki was able to dodge his shot, but knew she wouldn't be able to dodge the next one, and seeing the trajectory of the next shot, she changed her stance.

"Kufufufufu. She's going to use it~"

Dino, Shamal, and Colonello turned to him.

"What are you..."

They turned their attention back to the screen when the teen motioned for them to.

"Zero Chiten Toppa: Kai."

Xanxus's eyes widened in shock when his Flames suddenly disappeared, "What...?"

Tsuki grinned, showing the back of her glove as it changed back to its usual style, but not before everyone saw the X on it.

Dino's eyes widened, "What...?"

"Kufufufufu. Things will be explained in due times~"

The Varia Sky stared at her, "That attack..."

"Hmm?" Tsuki raised an eyebrow when his eyes narrowed.

"Iie, it's impossible."

"What are you babbling about?"

"Hn. Are you sure you should be taking your time?"

Tsuki tilted her head to the side, "Eh?"

"Your Guardians. Look."

She barely spared the screen—showing her Guardians—a glance.

"Heh, unlike you, I don't care if my subordinates die. What will I gain from saving them?"

Tsuki's face remained expressionless.

"Listen."

An eyebrow rose, "Listen to what? Your Guardians' pathetic begging? Spare my eardrums, Xanxus. This is what a little poison could do to the most feared assassins in the Mafia? Seems like Squalo's the only one whose pride is still intact, or is it just because, out of all of them, he's the only one who's not secretly a coward?"

Xanxus eyes burned with rage.

Tsuki chuckled, "Come on guys, even _Lambo _hasn't resorted to begging, are you telling me his pride is bigger than yours? You guys should learn a thing or two from Squalo. How Not To Be Pathetic 101."

Lussuria, Levi, Mammon, and Bel gritted their teeth, this time, not just in pain.

"Kufufufufufufufufu."

Shamal winced, "Oooh, that must have really done a number on the Varia."

"Seriously, where the hell did she learn to roast like that? Kora!" Colonnello demanded.

"I'm pretty sure she learned that all on her own," Ren replied after he managed to stop laughing, the same couldn't be said about his sister, Ken, and the other Mist.

Reborn clicked his tongue, "That smart-mouth of hers is going to get her in trouble one of these days."

Dino's fists clenched, "Trouble just got her. Look."

Tsuki backflipped to avoid his shot, propelling herself in various directions in order to avoid the rapid shots that followed.

"Trash!" Xanxus bellowed, "I'm going to show you, what true fear is."

Sunset-amber eyes watched as her opponent shot at two different directions, not even batting an eyelash after realizing what was in those directions.

"Those guys got the ring!" Colonnello cried, watching in disbelief as Bel and Levi inserted their respective rings on their wristband after Xanxus knocked down their pole with his shot.

Xanxus landed in front of her on the roof, "Fuhahaha, what about it, _lover_? You didn't think of this method, did you? And here I thought you were a prodigy. If you want to do the same, go ahead and throw your gloves over there! Buhahahaha!"

"I'll just leave the bomber boy to writhe in agony and die from the poison..." Belphegor said. He jumped off the window and landed on the ground, "Who's next? Maybe the princess who dared call the prince pathetic."

"First, I'll kill the little cow-brat."

"Why would I do such a stupid thing?" Tsuki scoffed, "Help my Guardians? Unlike yours, darlin', my Guardians can take care of themselves."

Xanxus' eyebrow twitched.

"Kufufufufufu. We're no ordinary people after all~"

"The Rain should be around here somewhere." Bel's eyes narrowed, he turned around just in time to dodge a strike, but he ended up letting go of the Storm Ring, "You are..."

"Hnnn, you dodged that pretty well... you are... the so-called genius?"

Tsuki smirked, "You sure took your time, Kyoya."

Colonnello, Shamal, and the Cervello stared in shock at the screen.

The Cervello's eyes widened behind their mask, "Why... what on earth..."

"... happened to the Cloud Guardian's pole!?"

Tsuki shrugged, "Kyoya struck it down and cured himself."

"That's impossible... the Death Heater's poison is so lethal that even an elephant would stop its tracks..."

"Hmm, is that so? But the thing is, Skylark-kun hates being restricted, you can poison him with something lethal enough to knock out a dinosaur and it still won't keep him down. Kufufufufu. That's how scary our Cloud is."

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "And people wondered why I was sleeping with a beast," she grinned cheekily, "I've been surrounded by beasts since I was a kid. I grew up with the beast known as Hibari Kyoya."

Reborn smiled, "The aloof drifting cloud who protects the Family from an independent standpoint and whom nothing can ever bind. Also, the true Guardians are not just about their missions, you know. Their relationships also resemble the weather they are named after. When it's cloudy, there will be a chance of remaining weather conditions, for example, it could be accompanied by storm."

"Where's that damn cow-brat? Has he been burnt to crisp...?" Levi heard the kid's sobbing and began charging to its direction. "I'm going to turn you into beef patties! Together with that annoying ability!"

"Hold it right there."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed at the sudden explosion.

"Wh-What was that...?" Levi exclaimed after dodging the explosion.

The smoke cleared, revealing Tsuki's Storm Guardian smoking a cigarette with his dynamites in hand.

Shamal stared with wide eyes, "Hayato...!"

"Didn't I tell you? Clouds and Storms go hand-in-hand."

Dino smirked, "Kyoya flipped the Storm Ring up to Gokudera's location."

"Shall we begin, little genius?"

"I won't allow you to cause trouble for Juudaime."

Xanxus' brows furrowed in annoyance, "Such annoying scumbags. Overestimating yourselves."

"How mean," the younger Sky pouted, "you should be focused on me, Xanxus."

* * *

_Buona fortuna, sorellina - _Good luck, little sister

_Dea - _Goddess


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Game Over!

The two Sky continued to dance around each other in mid-air, both evading the other's attack with ease. Tsuki gritted her teeth when one of his shots almost got her.

_He's speeding up. _She backflipped just in time to evade his shot, but failed to block his strike on time.

Xanxus watched with blank eyes as the younger Sky crashed into the school, reloading his guns just as she was propelling herself up and began charging towards him.

"Oi, oi, are you for real? Are you getting tired?"

He pointed both his guns and began unleashing a barrage of Flames.

"Scoppio d'Ira!"

Tsuki's eyes widened.

"A direct hit!" Shamal exclaimed.

They watched the younger Sky fall.

Colonnello gritted his teeth, "Was their difference in skill this great?"

Reborn watched his student crashing into the ground, "She got lucky. She managed to avoid a direct hit. If she was hit by that shot, it'll be bad."

Ken turned to him, "Avoid?" Turning his attention back to the screen, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was still alive, but heavily injured.

Xanxus landed at the edge of the roof and raised an eyebrow, "Saved by your outfit?"

"She was saved thanks to the bonus Leon made with her clothes. Tsuki's vest was made ten times thicker," Reborn explained.

"But it's been blown away now, and Xanxus still has the upper-hand, kora!"

"There won't be... another lucky break," Shamal stated in a grim tone.

Reborn looked down, "Tsuki knows that very well too."

"Kufufufu." Mukuro smirked, "Doesn't matter. That Hime-sama is done fooling around. "

Tsuki wiped the blood off her chin. Rising to her feet with shaky legs and pulling her ribbon off, she glanced up at the boss staring down at her and smirked, "Well that's not fair. I already lost two articles of clothing and yet, you're still wearing all of yours."

Xanxus' eyebrow twitched, Mukuro looked to the side and avoided the eyes of those staring at him in bemusement.

The younger Sky exhaled heavily and closed her eyes.

"What is she doing? Discharging her Flames uselessly is as good as throwing away her life!" Colonnello reprimanded.

The older boss readied his stance, eyes narrowed warily as he waited for whatever the girl was going to do. One of the things that he bothered keeping in mind since the whole conflict started is that, Sawada Tsukiyomi's an effing enigma. His brows furrowed when he recognized the way her Flames was acting.

_That irregular Flame that looks like it's knocking... could it be..._

"_Zero Chiten Toppa: Kai."_

"That attack earlier... it really was Zero Chiten Toppa!"

Colonnello raised an eyebrow, "Zero Chiten Toppa?"

"Kufufufufu. It's one of the techniques Hime-sama spent months perfecting."

"The look on Xanxus' face has completely changed!" Shamal commented.

"Why does he know about that?" Reborn wondered.

Xanxus glared angrily at the girl, "I won't allow it."

Tsuki flew up to dodge the older man's attack.

"You can't escape so easily!"

Xanxus struck her with his gun, intending to knock her down, but Tsuki caught herself before she could hit the ground.

Dino gritted his teeth when the Varia Boss appeared behind her in a blink and fired a shot, "He's moving at a totally different speed from before!"

"That Xanxus... he still has so much power left..." Colonnello voiced out.

Shamal narrowed his eyes, "You people... are being way too calm."

"Kufufufufu. Keep watching, Shamal-sensei."

Xanxus' eyes widened when the teen remained unscathed despite being hit by his attack. "What the—" he gritted his teeth and began firing successively.

"What is she doing!?" Dino exclaimed when the younger Sky didn't even bother to dodge.

A loud explosion rang throughout the entire school.

Hayato turned to its direction and muttered, "Juudaime..."

Kyoya barely paid it any mind.

"W-What happened?" Shamal asked, staring at the smoke blocking the screen's vision.

The smoke began clearing, slowly revealing the huge crater on the ground.

Dino, Colonnello, Shamal, and Xanxus' eyes widened when the smoke finally cleared.

"Thanks for the boost of energy, Xanxus."

"What!?"

Tsuki's entire body was covered in Flames, her eyes—which already had a faint glow when she enters Hyper Mode—were glowing brightly.

"She's finally showing her cards," Ken exclaimed with an excited glint in his eyes.

Colonnello raised a brow, "Showing her cards?"

"Reborn, what's going on?" Dino asked.

Xanxus' eyes narrowed when he heard what the hitman said.

"Zero Chiten Toppa."

"What is that? I kept hearing that and yet, no one's telling what it is," Shamal complained, not liking the fact that he was in the dark about what's going on.

"Kufufufufufu. Zero Chiten Toppa: Kai, this technique of hers converts her enemies' Flames into her own. Well, that's what it usually does, but seeing as Xanxus' Flame is different from your normal Dying Will Flames, Hime-sama's Sky Flame cannot harmonize with it, so she's merely absorbing it rather than converting it into her own."

Dino hit his upturned palm in realization, "That's what she did earlier! When she saved the gymnasium from being hit."

Reborn nodded, "Aa."

"That was the technique Primo used. Zero Chiten Toppa."

Tsuki blinked and tilted her head to the side, "You look a bit relieved, Xanxus."

The older man glared, "The fuck are you saying?"

"Hn. Must be my imagination then." She looked at her hands and shook her head, "It wasn't Primo's technique. It was mine, I discovered it while I was trying to do his."

Xanxus smirked, "I knew it. The Zero Chiten Toppa is not like that."

She raised an eyebrow, "And you know this because?"

"Hn," the Varia Boss continued to smirk, "that's not even close to the real thing. Think about it. As rotten as it is, it's the ultimate technique of the Vongola. You may be a genius, but an ultimate technique like that? It can't be learned by just anyone. I mean, look at you, you attempted to copy it, and this is the result. How could the technique be so pathetic as to allow the user to suffer damage to that extent!"

True to what he said, the younger's body was covered with bruises, the most evident ones were the ones on her legs, which the ripped fabric of her black stockings was showing.

Mukuro's eyes narrowed, "He's speaking like he knows it..."

"He's right, though," Ren said grimly.

His sister nodded, "The bruises on her body, it's the result of absorbing the Flame of Wrath... if it was any other Flame, it wouldn't have affected her like this."

Dino's eyes widen, "That means..."

"Aa," Reborn confirmed, "she can't keep absorbing his Flames, no matter how good her timing is, if she misses even for just a millisecond, she'll suffer a direct hit."

"It's the end, scum!" Xanxus bellowed, "I'm going to shoot you until you turn to ashes!"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were going to break me?" she asked innocently, managing to keep a straight face when she saw the quick flash of a certain emotion in his eyes. "Guess you changed your mind. Then... make sure you aim well."

"What?"

The girl grinned in reply. "The next time you hit... I'll make sure to do it right."

"Oya?"

Reborn smirked, "Blood of Vongola... Tsuki's Hyper Intuition seems to have figured something out."

Raven grinned, "Like how to absorb his Flames without suffering any kind of damage."

"Scary," Ren shook his head, "that girl is scary."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow, "You going to try copying Primo's technique again? How many times are you going to do that before you stop?"

"I'm not trying to copy anything. I'm talking about my own technique, see normally when I use it, I don't suffer any kind of damage, but your Flame is no ordinary Flame, this is my first time absorbing something like it since it's too damn rare, even rarer than Sky Flame. And as you can see and pointed out, my body looked like it was used as a punching bag," she shook her in annoyance, "I didn't think the drawback of absorbing Wrath Flame would be _this _bad, my mistake I guess."

"What are yapping on about? Primo's technique or not, yours or not, that's not the Zero Chiten Toppa."

"Again with that, you're talking like you know how it works..."

Mukuro's eyes narrowed, "That should be impossible, Zero Chiten Toppa is a technique used only by the first boss."

"It can't be true..." Reborn said out loud.

Xanxus grinned maniacally, "Hn. I'm going to kill you so that you never speak the name of that technique again."

Tsuki blocked his kick with her own, backflipping and charging towards him in a blink, her flaming fist hit its target, she watched blankly as the other boss crashed into one of the classrooms on the first floor. She propelled herself up, barely managing to dodge his shot.

The Varia Boss appeared behind her and struck her down with his gun.

"He's... really not pulling his punches..." Colonnello commented as he watched Tsuki crashing into one of the craters the other made.

"After what happened earlier?" Raven raised a brow, "Why would he?"

Mukuro silently stared at the screen. _Ren's right... you're a scary woman, Hime-sama._

Xanxus stared down at the girl, the look on his face made Tsuki grit her teeth. He was looking down at her with a look of contempt, and it pissed her off and affected her harder than she would like to admit.

"I didn't think you'd be this_ weak,_" Xanxus spat out, "after all those talks about the reports about you being false, I'm starting to think that it was true after all, that you were just playing pretend this whole time. Is this really the best you could do?" he scoffed, "And to think I allowed someone like you to touch me. I should have listened to you and looked for someone else to fuck."

Raven stared wide eyed at the screen, "Oh—wow. I didn't think he'd be that big of a dick."

Ren focused his attention solely on the girl whose bangs were hiding her expression. _What are you going to do now, Dea?_

"That Hime-sama..." Mukuro's fists clenched, "she is not going take that lying down."

Xanxus ignored the urge to flinch back when she looked up with a glint in her eyes, the same glint she always seem to have when she's about to rip you to shreds.

"Why didn't you?" she smirked, "Was it because I was such a good lay? Or was looking for someone else to bothersome for you?" she shook her head and gave him an amused look, "Hmm, you were right you know, I was playing pretend... with you anyway, everything that I did, every words, every touch, everything, it was all just a means to an end. Flirting with you and having sex with you... it was all for this. I wanted everyone present in this grand finale, and I mean _everyone_," she giggled, "can't believe you actually listened and didn't kill any of your subordinates even after they loss pathetically to my Guardians. Were you really that h—"

"Bocciolo di Fiamma!"

The spectators watched with wide eyes as Xanxus began firing at Tsuki from different angles while propelling himself with his other gun.

"That guy... he's going to torture her to death!" Shamal exclaimed.

"Tsuki!" Dino cried out.

"Fuhahahaha! Taste you own despair, you fucking bitch!"

His eyes narrowed into slits when he noticed her defiance, the determined look in her eyes not faltering. _Even in this hopeless situation... that face... those eyes... it's the same as the senile old fart that time... don't fuck with me, bitch... _"You and him both! You're all two-faced scum! How dare you defy me!"

"Colpo d'Addio!"

Colonnello's eyes widen in panic, "That's bad!"

"It's a finishing blow!"

Reborn stared at the screen impassively as he and the rest waited for the smoke to clear.

Xanxus landed on the ground and readied his guns, "I'll scatter you into dust for eternity... you little bitch."

His eyes suddenly widened when the girl appeared behind him.

"It's my turn now, Xanxus."

"What!?"

Xanxus propelled himself up angrily, "Fucking die already!"

Red eyes widened when he came face to face with her. Tsuki backflipped, nailing him on the chin and sending him back to the ground.

Shamal's jaw dropped, "S-She's caught up to Xanxus' speed!"

Xanxus gritted his teeth, "Bitch!"

The audience held their breath as the younger Sky continued to overpower the Varia Boss. She backhanded him while in mid-air, sending him crashing into the ground.

"What the heck is going on!?" Colonnello exclaimed, "Her movements are completely different!"

"Fuck you!" Xanxus roared as he began firing his strongest attack. "Martello di Fiamma!"

His eyes—along with everyone watching—widened in shock when she merely stared at the oncoming attack.

"What are you doing!? Run!" Dino exclaimed.

Tsuki closed her eyes and let the Wrath Flame wash over her. _Xanxus..._

"She did it..." Ren muttered, staring at the screen in awe.

"Aa," Reborn agreed, "Tsuki found a way to convert his Flame into her own power."

Xanxus' hands tightened around his guns, "How could something like that... something like that... this is impossible!"

Tsuki charged towards him before he could shoot, sending him crashing into the school building.

Kyoya landed on the ground and made his way to where the herbivore was lying, inserting the Rain Ring and waiting for the antidote to take effect.

Takeshi breathed a sigh of relief, "Whew~ just in time..." he sat up and grinned, "thanks, you saved me."

The Skylark inwardly rolled his eyes before turning around, "Let's go. We're not done cleaning the school grounds yet."

"Aa," the baseball ace stood and walked to where Squalo was lying. "Just a sec."

Kyoya leaned against a pillar and crossed his arms, "Lousy Herbivore."

"Haha."

"V-Voi... why?"

Takeshi blinked, "Hmm? 'Cause the whole thing leading up to this would be a huge waste if you die now."

Ryohei sat up and rested an arm against a bent knee, "Thanks, Tako-head."

"You're going to be dizzy for a while. I need to go now, I have to go save the others." Hayato handed the child over to the boxer, "Take care of Ahoshi."

"In that case, take our rings too. The chances of you running into Sawada first are higher."

The silver-haired teen nodded and accepted the Lightning and Sun Rings, "Got it."

"One more thing. Go save Lussuria over there."

"Ha? Oh, well, Juudaime would have done the same."

Xanxus breathed heavily, wiping the blood off his chin, he glared venomously at the girl staring impassively at him, "How could I lose to an imitation of Zero Chiten Toppa... from a trash like you... fuck... fuck... you fucking bitch!"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow as the older man's scars began emerging.

"Who's there!?"

Takeshi's eyes widened in delight at the familiar voice, "Hayato!"

The teen stopped in his tracks, "T-Takeshi! You're alright too?"

"Aa. Kyoya helped me, but he was pretty wounded so he stayed back to rest for a bit. I left him with Squalo so those two are probably fighting. But..." he raised a hand and showed the two rings nestled between his fingers, "I have his ring with me. So who else hasn't been saved yet?"

"Ahoshi and Shibafu-atama are fine. So that leaves Chrome."

Takeshi's brows furrowed, "Kyoya said that Bel ran away from him, so chances are..."

Hayato clicked his tongue, "He might be there, huh."

Xanxus gritted his teeth angrily, "How dare you... low-life scum... unforgivable...!"

Tsuki shielded her face from the intensity of his Flames.

"You're fucking dead!"

"What a guy... after all this, he can still increase the intensity of his Flame," Reborn commented.

"Is that guy's power bottomless?"

Takeshi and Hayato stood in front of the Gym's entrance, they looked at each other and nodded.

Hayato pulled out some dynamites before kicking the door open.

Takeshi's eyes widened at the sight of the knocked-down pole, "This is bad..."

"What the hell happened!? Where's Chrome?"

"Over here."

Both teens turned to its direction and felt their blood ran cold. Chrome's wrists were tried by a rope connected to the ceiling with her feet dangling, and by the way she was breathing, the two teens could tell that the poison was still in her system.

Belphegor grinned, "Would you like to hand over the rings you're holding? Otherwise, I'll peel the skin off her bones, and kill her in the most gruesome way possible."

Squalo stared at the little screen on his wrist, "I've never seen him this angry..."

"Hn. The Small Animal can do that, and more."

The Varia Rain scoffed and turned to the Skylark leaning nonchalantly on a pillar, "You don't say."

"Hn."

"Voi... that girl... just how dangerous is she?"

The teen raised an eyebrow.

"She played _that _kind of game with Xanxus. She had the nerve to use him for her own gain... no sane person would do that, no sane person would even attempt all the things that she did, especially not with a man like Xanxus."

"Use him...?" Kyoya muttered, a smirk spread across his face, "Sawada Tsukiyomi is dangerous enough to shake the foundation of the Mafia world itself. You people..." his smirk widened, " and that boss of yours... will find out the true meaning of defeat."

Tsuki closed her eyes and searched for her Guardians' Flames, sensing their proximity with the Varia, she opened her eyes and stared at the raging boss with an unreadable look in her eyes, "We're about to reach the final act of this comedy, Xanxus."

The man grinned maniacally, "Aa. With your death!" He charged towards her, red eyes narrowing when small, orange fireballs began floating around him like frozen snow.

"Hotarubi."

The fireballs exploded around Xanxus.

Dino, Colonnello, and Shamal's jaw dropped.

Xanxus spat out some blood. Gritting his teeth, he pointed both his guns, "Die!"

Tsuki propelled herself up to dodge his attack. He watched in disbelief as the Flame he shot started to move towards her like a moth to a flame. Sky Flame surrounded her entire body, all the Flame proceeding to amass around her raised hand, "Dai Honō..."

"W... What is that...?" Dino stammered, unable to believe what he was seeing.

The young Sky looked like she was holding the sun itself in her hand even though the moon was out.

"Kaihō!"

Both the spectators and combatants shielded their face from the impact of Tsuki releasing her attack.

"Vooooii! What the fuck was that!?" Squalo demanded. Gritting his teeth, he sent a glare at the black-haired teen's direction before speeding out of the building. _Xanxus... you better have survived that._

Tsuki landed on the ground, eyes staring at the boss lying on his back whose jacket and shirt were burned off, showing the third-degree burns on his scarred body. Her fists clenched, "It's over, Xanxus."

Xanxus forced his body to stand, "You... you're fucking kidding!"

"How can he still move...?" Raven questioned, watching as the Varia Boss charged towards the younger Sky.

Tsuki caught both his hands with her own, "Xanxus... you won't win."

Xanxus gritted his teeth, "Shut the fuck up! I am the one whose name contains the double X title. I am Xanxus!" he pulled back from her and glared, "Do you think I would submit to someone like you!? I _will _win! I am the fucking—"

His eyes widened in shock when the girl appeared right in front of him and sent him flying.

Mukuro's eyes narrowed, "So she's not going to use _that_..."

All heads turned to him.

"What are you talking about, kora?"

Mukuro ignored him and watched as his Sky pulled the Half-Ring off her neck and connected it with its twin.

Tsuki sighed and turned to the "two" Varia's direction, "You really think you can fool me with that, Mammon?"

The illusions disappeared just as Mammon materialized in front of her, "Hmph, you saw through it very well, but it's too late, even if you're still standing, it's obvious that you don't even have the energy to move anymore, much less attack."

Tsuki chuckled mirthlessly, "That's true..."

"Hmm? So you've given up, wise choice. Just in time too, the preparations are in good order for the ceremony that will declare our boss the successor. The Decimo of Vongola."

Shamal's eyes widened, "Those are...!"

"The Guardian Rings!" Dino exclaimed.

Mammon floated and stared down at the girl, "Do you know why the Rings were stored in halves? And do you know why they can only be awarded to the true successor of the Vongola? That's because the Rings themselves have a hidden power."

"Hidden... power?" Ken questioned.

"During that time, there were seven burn marks left on the base. I cannot be sure who'd done it, but the evidence was enough to lead me to a hypothesis."

The ring on Tsuki's hand began to ignite with Sky Flame.

"Exactly as I thought," Mammon stated as the Rings on her hand began to ignite as well with the color of the Flame each Ring represents.

"Flames are coming out of the rings!" Colonnello voiced out.

"Trash..."

Mammon floated to her boss and began putting the Rings on the chain attached to his belt loops.

"This isn't all... when the seven Rings are handed down, they say that the Rings will grant power to the new blood of Vongola."

"Shishishishi. Which is why, it's about time you return it," Belphegor swiftly took the ring from the girl.

"That Tsuki..." Raven bit her lip, "why isn't she doing anything?"

Bel grinned, "This Ring belong to the true successor," he said, walking towards his boss and kneeling in front of him, "Boss, this Ring is rightfully yours, the true progeny of the Ninth Boss."

Mammon inserted the last ring on the chain, "After all, this was meant to be from the start."

"Bosu!"

"Juudaime!"

Takeshi stared at the scent in front of him in disbelief, "No way..."

"Shishishishi." Belphegor grabbed Xanxus' hand, "Thank you all for being audience to the birth of the new Boss."

Her Guardians gritted their teeth while the audience watched on with dread as Belphegor slipped the ring on the Varia Boss' finger.

The Rings began to glow.

"Third strike," Tsuki stood, sunset-amber eyes meeting with red ones. "Game over."

Squalo's head snapped to her direction, eyes wide in astonishment, "No way..."

"Buhahaha! Yap all you want! It doesn't change the fact. I won! This is the power! The limitless power is overflowing through me!"

Tsuki watched him with sadness in her eyes, "Xanxus..."

"This is the proof of the successor of the Vongola! Finally! Finally, it's mine! With this, I will become the Tenth Boss of Vongola!"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock when the power that was overflowing from the Varia Boss suddenly subsided, causing him to drop to his knees and fall face first on the ground.

"Boss!"

"What happened!?"

Bel and Mammon ran towards their Boss' side.

"The Rings rejected Xanxus' blood."

Mammon turned to her, "You know something. What do you mean the Rings have rejected his blood!?"

Tsuki ignored her and continued to stare at the Varia Sky.

Xanxus smirked bitterly, "I... certainly had it coming, didn't I?" he sat up and met her gaze, "You knew... you knew from the very beginning. You knew that that old fart and I have no blood relation whatsoever!"

A deafening silence followed after the revelation with everyone—except two people—staring at him in astonishment.

Tsuki's gloves changed back to its dormant form, "Xanxus..."

Xanxus looked down and gritted his teeth. If there was one person in this world he never wanted to know the truth about him, it was her. "Don't you fucking pity me! You scum!"

"... I understood though... the betrayal you suffered and your hatred... I understood it all..."

"Damn Shark... you understand, you say..."

Tsuki bit her lip at the look on the Varia Boss' face, he looked so tired, so done with everything, the younger Sky could see the pain, the betrayal, and the hurt that he was trying so hard to hide from his eyes.

"What... do you understand about me?... Don't talk as if you know anything!"

"Iie, I understand! I know everything!"

"Then say it! Just what do you know about me! Huh?"

Squalo remained silent.

"You can't say it, can you!"

"That day... when you were frozen by Nono, I was still conscious."

Red eyes widened.

"I heard. That time, you..."

_"Why? Why did you..."_

_"Shut up! You should know that most of all! I'm not... I'm not your real child. Why did you keep quiet about it, the fact that I couldn't become boss of Vongola?"_

"You were born in the squatters, but you were gifted with the Flame since birth. When your mother saw that Flame, she became obsessed with the delusion that you were the lovechild of an affair between Nono and herself."

_"I gave him the name Xanxus, because it contained the X for the Tenth Boss..."_

"Your mother didn't care about anything and brought you to meet Nono..."

_"Yes... that is the Vongola Dying Will Flames. There's no mistake, you are my son."_

"You believed Nono's words without a doubt... you were adopted, and as Nono's son, your impudence grew..."

_"I am the son of the Ninth Boss! You expect me to eat together with these wannabe boss candidates from the Branch Families!?"_

"You used your dignity and your power as the son of the Ninth Boss, as the successor, and grew to adulthood without anybody daring to challenge you. But... the time came when you found out. That your mother had no connection at all to the Ninth Boss. That you were taken in as the adopted son of Nono. And that you did not possess any blood relation to the Vongola... And worst of all, there was a law which stipulated that without the Blood of Vongola, you would never be accepted as the successor!"

_"Then, I'm nothing! I'm even more inferior than those scum! That... senile old fart! He never intended for me to become the successor! What 'son'! I have been betrayed!"_

"That was when I first met you... I realized it at once... and I decided to follow that fury of yours. Half a year later..."

_"I'm going to overthrow that old fart and claim Vongola."_

"That led to the Cradle Affair," Reborn said.

"That's all I know. I dug it up after the Cradle Affair, though."

Xanxus smirked, "Pathetic..."

"Dame-Tsuki."

Tsuki's eyes followed the hitman's voice.

"You kept quiet about all this. It looks like not even your Guardians knew."

The girl shrugged, "Of course I did. If all the things I've kept hidden my whole life was exposed by someone else, even I'd commit bloody murder. And besides... I didn't really care, Vongola Blood or not, it doesn't change the fact that I needed to beat him."

Xanxus threw his head back and barked out a laugh, "Don't start acting like an angel now! You and him—both of you are deceitful scums!" he glared at her, "The only thing I wanted was the seat of the Boss! I only wanted those scumbags to worship me! I only wanted them to praise me!"

The Ring slipped out of his finger.

"Xanxus-sama! We will need to deliberate further on whether or not you are suitable for the Rings," The Cervello informed.

"Sh-Shut up! If I can't have them, nobody can! Not even _you,_" he roared, staring straight into the quiet Sky.

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

"Xanxus-sama!"

"Shishishi. I approve! Way to go, Boss!"

"We're back to the original plan."

"Vooooii!"

Tsuki shook her head when her Guardians immediately changed into battle mode. _War freak, the lot of them_.

"Oi. Stand down."

Her Guardians turned to her in surprise.

"J-Juudaime...?"

Tsuki met the Varia Boss' eyes, "Fight's over."

Xanxus glared at her with venom, "Nothing's over until I say so."

"Iie. It's over, Xanxus. You... have no cards left, truth's out, the Rings rejected you, the Conflict is over."

"Shishishi. Fool. Do you think you can win against the Varia? And what makes you think the boss has no cards left?"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Are you talking about the elite Varia Squad that was supposed to kill everyone here after Xanxus won?"

"Voooii! You've gotta be fucking kidding me!?" the shark turned to her Guardians, "What the fuck is up with your boss!? What is she? A fucking mindreader!?" he bellowed, much to the amusement of said mindreader.

"You guys aren't that hard to predict," Tsuki answered, "they're not coming, that elite Squad of yours. Mukuro already took care of them."

"Kufufufufu."

Tsuki turned to the Cervello, ignoring the pissed Varia, "The Conflict is over, let everyone out of the boundary."

The Cervello shook their heads, "Iie, Xanxus-sama—"

"Xanxus-sama this, Xanxus-sama that. I'm going to fucking bury the two of you on the earth's core if you don't _quit _it. The truth's out, you stupid bitches, remove that fucking mask, open your fucking eyes, and see the fucking reality before I pluck out those eyes. Using your brain is free you know, it won't cost you anything," the younger Sky snapped.

All eyes in the battlefield stared widely at the girl.

"Small Animal, I'm not going to be satisfied until I bite them all to death..."

Sunset-ambers eyes turned to him, "I don't care. Stand down, Kyoya."

The Skylark clicked his tongue but followed the order.

Belphegor raised his hands in surrender, "That's it for me."

"Umu. Boss, I think we're done..."

Squalo closed his eyes and sighed, "It's our loss."

Xanxus gritted his teeth, "You're all useless scumbags... shit! All of you! I curse all of you to death!" Red eyes turned to _her, _"Most especially you."

Tsuki stared impassively at him. Her eyebrow rose when one of the Cervello knelt in front of him.

"Xanxus-sama. For attempting to involve outsiders in this match, you and your Guardians have been disqualified. Please forfeit the Rings."

"Cervello," Xanxus muttered, "it's gone according to your wishes, you were right... are you happy now?"

"You say words like that... but we do not have wishes nor do we predict anything."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed when the Cervello touched his cheek... and he _let _her.

"Everything was already decided. Your role in this is over."

"You cunning fox."

"Thank you for doing your part. With this, the Ring Conflict has ended. We will now announce the overall result. Since Xanxus-sama has been disqualified, the winner of the Sky Match is Sawada Tsukiyomi-sama."

Her Guardians smiled/grinned/smirked.

"Therefore, the next successor to the Vongola is Sawada Tsukiyomi-sama and her Guardians."

"You guys won!" Raven exclaimed, throwing her arms around Takeshi's neck.

"Haha."

"Gyahahahaha! Lambo-san's awake!"

"Ahoshi!"

"Extreme win!"

"Kufufufufufu."

"Stupid Onna! Why did you let that happen, byon!"

"Ken, shut up. She did her best."

"You shut up, Kakipi! She almost got herself killed!"

"Heh, I wouldn't mind tending such a cute girl."

"Keep your hands off her, Herbivore."

"Maa, Kyoya calm down, he was just joking."

"Ryohei, your punch have gotten stronger, kora."

"Well done. Now, we can all go home."

Xanxus ignored the rest of the trash making too much noise, his attention focused solely on the two figures talking quietly, teeth gritting when the scum ruffled her hair.

Squalo stared at him, an eyebrow raised, "Voi... Xanxus..."

"Shut up. Let's get the fuck out of here."

* * *

"Tsuki-san!"

"Tsuki-chan!"

"Juudaime!"

Tsuki smiled warmly, "Minna."

Hayato immediately ran towards her, "Juudaime! Like what Mama and Oyaji promised, we're having a feast for winning the Ring Conflict!" he smiled brightly and showed the Storm Ring on his right middle finger, "We really did it!"

"Haha. We did."

"Aa."

"Kufufufufufu. Chrome and I agreed to switch depending on who needs it most."

"But Mukuro-sama insisted that he wears it if it's not needed."

"Hn. Herbivore."

Tsuki's eyes softened at the sight of the rings on their finger, "We really did it."

"Here's yours."

Tsuki looked down, she took the Sky Ring from its box and slipped it on her right middle finger, where she and her Guardians seem to prefer wearing it.

"Looks good," Ren complemented upon reaching where she and her Guardians were with Dino and Raven in tow.

"Yo. You guys are here," Takeshi greeted, his arm automatically wrapping around his girlfriend's waist.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, noticing the somber look on a certain boss' face, "What's with that look, Dino-nii?"

Dino sighed and met his former tutor's eyes before turning to look at his little sister, "Tsuki... Nono's completely recovered... he told me to tell you that he'll be waiting for you and your Guardians tonight."

A serious look spread across the teens faces.

Tsuki nodded slowly, "Aa. We'll be there... but for now..." she turned and looked at her family, "I want to enjoy this feast."

"Yosh!" the older Yamamoto exclaimed. "Bon appétit!"

Eyes sparkled at all the food spread out on the tables made by Tsuyoshi and Nana.

Haru squealed, "It's a deluxe!"

"Gyahahaaha! Lambo-san's the hero!" the cow-child exclaimed before stuffing his face with food.

Nana smiled indulgently, "Maa, maa. Lambo-kun. There's plenty of food. No need to hurry."

"Don't be greedy, kora!" Colonnello chided.

"Herbivore, if you take one more..."

"Haha. Gomen, Kyoya, but it looked so delicious."

"Get your own."

"Mukuro-san, try this tempura, it's really good, byon!"

"Hmm, it seems like Mama used a different sauce."

"Oya? You're right, Chikusa."

"Ryohei... you shouldn't eat that much..."

"Eh? What are you extremely talking about, Chrome? Men should eat plenty! Speaking of which, here, eat some more, you're too thin!"

"Eh?"

"Bianchi-chan, I want some lovin'—ack!"

"Uwa, Bianchi-nee knocked out Shamal-san."

"Bianchi. One hit."

"Gack! Reborn, quit stealing my food!"

"Hmph, you're still so slow, Pipsqueak-Dino."

Tsuki's eyes softened at the sight of her family having fun. This past week had been so stressful for her and her Guardians, after all the truths and the lies that was revealed, she was more than ready to move pass everything and just relax, but she knew that she can't do that yet, there was still some loose end she needed to fix.

"Tsuki-chan/Tsuki-san."

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the two girls staring at her curiously.

"Kyoko, Haru, what's up?"

Kyoko tilted her head to the side, "Shouldn't we be asking you that?"

"Eh?"

"Tsuki-san, you looked like you were in deep thoughts. What were you thinking about?" Haru asked.

Tsuki shook her head softly, "Nothing really..." she trailed off when the two girls looked at each other and nodded.

Haru leaned in and whispered, "Neh, Tsuki-san, were you thinking about your guy?"

Sunset-amber eyes widened, "Hah? What are you—"

"Mou," Kyoko pouted, "Tsuki-chan, I saw the—" her cheeks flushed, "... the kiss marks on your back..."

"Kyoko-chan told me about it. Mou, Tsuki-san, why didn't you tell us that you got yourself a boyfriend!"

Tsuki sighed and stared at the two girls looking at her intently, "That's because... I didn't... he's not my boyfriend, he's... not my anything really."

"But..." Kyoko's cheeks flushed even more, "you two were..."

Tsuki raised an amused eyebrow at the girl's inability to complete her sentence, "Having sex?" She giggled when the younger Sasagawa looked away to hide her embarrassment, "That's the thing... we weren't dating, we were just... two people who enjoyed each other's body... nothing more. And now... we're not even that."

"Tsuki-chan..."

"Tsuki-san..."

The girl smiled at them, "Let's go? Food's waiting." She didn't wait for their reply and began making her way to the tables, leaving the two girls staring after her.

"Neh, Kyoko-chan... Tsuki-san really..."

Kyoko nodded, "Un."

* * *

_Hotarubi - _Fireflies

_Dai honō Kaihō - _Great Flame Liberation


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Sky, Part 1: The Beginning

_5-year-old Sawada Tsukiyomi stared fascinated at the fire burning in her hand. She doesn't know why or how it happened, and despite her Kaa-chan's warnings about the dangers of fire, she was sure that the fire in her hand wasn't going to harm her, it's not even burning her. It was glowing so brightly, and it was warm and pretty. She decided not to tell her Kaa-chan about her pretty fire because she doesn't want to worry her. After a couple of trial and error, she learned how to make it appear and disappear at will._

_A month after she turned 6, she and her Kaa-chan went to the airport with the strange, blonde man who likes to carry her and occasionally sleep at their house. They met a nice looking old man the blonde man calls Nono. Turns out, Nono was the blonde man's boss, and he was going to stay at their place while he was in Japan. Sometimes, the two of them talk in a language she didn't understand, so she asked her Kaa-chan about it and she said that it was called Italian._

_One day, while Tsuki was playing by herself in the front yard—despite her Kaa-chan always telling her to play with kids her age, which she doesn't want to do because boys always stare at her and girls were mean to her, she prefers being by herself, but... sometimes it gets lonely. Nono and the blonde man (whom she later found out was her father) were talking on the porch. She looked at the two adults over her shoulder, and seeing that they were busy talking, she decided to call her fire. For whatever reason, ever since Nono arrived, her fire has been acting weird, like it was reaching out to him or something, she doesn't know how, but she was sure that the old man also has it, the pretty orange fire._

"_Oh my."_

_She turned and stared at the shock-faced adults, tilting her head to the side, she wondered why the old man looked so sad and panicky. The blonde man picked her up and brought her to Nono, who smiled sadly at her and tapped her forehead. The next thing she knew, her entire body felt like it was burning, her pretty fire was pulling away from her, and no matter how hard she tried to grab it, she couldn't._

He did something. Nono did something to my fire. Why? Why? Come back. Please, come back.

_She wasn't aware that she passed out. The two adults thought it was a side-effect of having her Flame sealed, what they didn't know is that, it was much worse than that._

_Tsuki refused to acknowledge the two adults after she woke up, no matter how many times her mother asked her what was wrong, she refused to tell her anything, and this went on until the two left._

_Nana noticed the change in her daughter, she was less outgoing, quieter, she doesn't seem to have any energy at all, and her smiles seem forced. She tried to get her to open up, but her little girl kept on saying that nothing was wrong, that she was just tired._

_Tsuki knew she was worrying her mother, but she doesn't know how she was supposed to explain to her what happened. How was she going to say that Nono did something to her fire? That he made it go away? That she was so scared of never seeing her fire ever again, so worried that it was really gone._

* * *

_Tsuki was on her way home from school when she felt it, someone was following her. She turned around and saw a man wearing a suit leaning nonchalantly on a pole, but she knew that man was only pretending. She didn't waste any time, she ran as fast as she could, not caring about the people she bumped into, she turned into an alley and hid behind a trash bin, her heart was pounding so loudly she was worried that whoever was following her would be able to hear it. She was so busy trying to get her breathing under control, she didn't notice her mind going haywire, warning her that someone was coming._

"There you are."

_Her head snapped behind her. The man grabbed her before she could attempt to run, putting a hand on her mouth to keep her from screaming._

"You're good at running away, huh, brat. I almost lost you."

_Tsuki couldn't understand what he was saying, but she recognized the language he was using. _Italian_. She struggled against his hold, trying in vain to break away from him._

"You think you can get away from me? Keep trying. I'm going to kill you, but before that..."

_Her eyes widened in fear and panic when she felt the man's hand creeping up her shirt, she struggled harder, tears falling from her eyes. _No... no... this man...

"I wonder how Iemitsu Sawada is going to react when he finds out that his precious daughter was... taken advantage of."

_She was pressed against the wall, the man's body pressing against her. She whimpered behind the man's hand when she felt something hard being pushed against her back._

"You know, for such a kid, you're quite the beauty. Such a shame, I bet you'll grow into a mighty fine woman, just the thought of it almost makes me want to take you back to Italy with me. But sadly, I don't think the future Vongola Decimo will like that, and CEDEF might catch wind that their boss' daughter was taken to Italy."

_Tsuki began trashing when the man turned her around to face him, eyes widening when the man began kissing her neck. _Kick him, kick him now. _She followed the voice in her head and kicked as hard as she could, gasping in relief when the man fell on his back, clutching the area between his legs. She ran before the man could recover, ignoring the words he was screaming after her._

"You little bitch!"

_She ran as fast as she could, not stopping until she saw her house, when she finally reached her home, she ran straight to her room after giving a hasty greeting to her mother. Locking the door behind her, she slid down against it, forcing her body to stop shaking._

Iemitsu... CEDEF... Vongola Decimo... what... why did that man say Oto-chan's name?

_Her body refused to stop trembling, her tears kept on falling no matter how hard she tried to stop it._

I'm scared...

* * *

_Ever since she was attacked, Tsuki became conscious of her surroundings, always looking behind to see if someone was following her, she also learned to listen to her instinct, now that she's aware of the little voice in her head, she made sure to always listen to it, which was why she started learning Italian. Her mother was surprised when she asked for materials to learn the language, but seeing her daughter getting better, she was more than happy to give her what she wanted without question._

_"Arf! Arf!"_

_"Oto-chan!"_

_Tsuki turned to the kid crying for her father, feeling something inside her stirring as the father bent down to pick up his child and shooed away the dog._

_"Maa, maa. Oto-chan's here. Oto-chan will protect you."_

_"Tsu-chan?"_

_Tsuki turned to her mother and smiled, "Hai?"_

_Nana's eyes softened, "Do you miss your Oto-chan?"_

_"Un. When is he coming back?"_

_"I don't know, Tsu-chan. Oto-chan is very busy."_

_"Too busy for us?"_

_Nana fought down the urge to cry at her daughter's words, "Tsu-chan, Oto-chan has to work so we can have all the things that we need. I'm sure he wants to be with us too."_

_Tsuki decided not to push after seeing her mother trying so hard not to cry, so she just nodded her head and laced their fingers together, "Tsu-chan will always be with you, Okaa-chan!"_

_Nana kissed her cheek and hugged her, "Un."_

* * *

_Tsuki was sure she was being followed, she didn't have to look behind her to know, she could feel it. This was the third time, the last time, someone heard them in the alley and managed to scare the men off before they could do anything, she begged them not to tell anyone and assured them that she was alright, running away before they could say anything else._

What do they want with me?

_She started walking faster, trying to be subtle in doing so. She abruptly stopped when she felt someone in front of her, looking up, she shivered at the menacing look on the man's face._

_"Where do you think you're going?"_

_"Come quietly with us if you don't want to cause a scene."_

_They were speaking in Japanese, but their thick accent and appearance was Italian. Tsuki clenched her fists and followed them reluctantly into an alley. When they reached the alley, there was a man leaning on the wall who seemed to be their leader._

"So that's the brat?"

_"Yes, Boss"_

Boss? _Tsuki wondered, her Italian was still a work in progress, but she could understand some of the words they were saying._

"Would you look at that. _The three sons of Vongola Nono_ wants a single brat _dead_," _an amused smirk spread across the man's face, _"I wonder for what reason."

"_She_ must _be_ worth something," _one of the men said, _"otherwise _they_ wouldn't keep _on_ sending assassins to kill _her_."

Vongola Nono? Sons? _Tsuki barely understood what they were saying, but she pretty much gets the gist of it._

"Maybe _she's_ related _to_ _Iemitsu_."

_Tsuki's eyes widened when she heard her father's name. _Again...they know Oto-chan...

"_The CEDEF Boss? _I doubt it, _I've never heard of him _having a child."

"It doesn't matter. _We _were ordered to kill her, so let's get this over with."

"_Wait, Boss. Why don't we have some fun first?_"

_Tsuki started thrashing against the two men holding her. She understood perfectly what the guy was suggesting._

_"No! No! Please, don't!"_

_The man who suggested the idea smirked and said in Japanese, "So you can understand Italian, huh? Like that would do you any good. Now just be a good girl and we'll make it quick."_

_"No! Hmmf—" Tsuki tried to get the man's hand off to no avail._

_"Che. I'm the boss, so I'm going first..."_

_Tsuki began panicking as the leader's subordinates held her down while he was making his way toward her. _No... no... not again... please, not again... Oto-chan, save me!... Oto-chan! Oto-chan!

_She tried to break free when the man got on top of her, but he was a hundred times stronger than her._

_"Don't be so scared. It won't hurt," the leader grinned, "... much."_

_Tsuki breathed heavily and continued to call for her father, tears streaming down her cheeks, her body shaking violently from fear._

Please... Oto-chan...

_Suddenly, she felt the familiar warmth of her fire burning within her, surging free from its restraints, then... it burst free._

_"GAAAAAAHHHHHH!"_

_Tsuki stood on shaky legs, watching her fire burning the men with a blank look on her face. One of the men tried to make a grab for her, but her fire shielded her from him. By the time her fire dissipated, the men's body were unrecognizable, their skin completely melted, even some of the bones melted along. She gave the burned corpses one last look before walking away._

_When she reached her home, she greeted her mother normally, ate dinner with her like nothing happened, and bid her goodnight with a smile on her face. She entered her room and leaned against her door, waiting for her mother's door to close._

_"Who are you?" she asked the moment she was sure her mother was gone, "I know you're there. I can feel you... you're... the reason why my fire is back. You saved me."'_

_Silence answered her, for a moment, she was worried that she was losing her mind, but then her fire materialized in front of her, slowly changing into a shape of a man._

_"Hello, little one. I didn't think anyone would be able to sense that I'm here. You're quite the gifted child."_

_Tsuki stared at the stranger in front of her, his hair was golden blonde and seemed to defy gravity, his eyes were sharp orange. What shocked the girl more than his initial appearance in her room was his clothes, he was wearing a black suit with white pinstripes, a white undershirt with a black tie, and a long, black cloak with a golden, decorated attachment. He was emitting the same aura as the men who kept attacking her, only his was far more dangerous._

_The stranger smiled softly, "You don't need to be wary. I mean you no harm. My name is Giotto di Vongola."_

_Her eyes widened, "Vongola..."_

_Giotto smiled gently at the girl, "Come here, Principessa. Let me tell you a story. About a vigilante group, and one of the greatest mysteries of the world called the Tri-ni-sette."_

* * *

_The next time she was attacked, she was prepared. The six-year-old pretended not to notice them, subtly leading them to the forest, acknowledging them only when they were deep enough to not alert anyone._

_"What do you want with me?" she asked in flawless Italian._

_Her pursuers were startled._

_"You..." one of them started but was cut off when her eyes began to glow._

_"No way!"_

_Her Flames circled around them, trapping them._

_"Who sent you!?" Tsuki demanded._

_"Fuck you!" one of the men spat._

_Sunset-amber eyes narrowed. She increased the heat of her Flames and watched their skin begin to blister._

_"Who sent you?"_

_The leader gritted his teeth, "Nono's sons! Massimo, Federico, Enrico! They want you dead! We don't know why. They never told us. All we know is that they want you gone. But now, now we know why."_

_"You _didn't _know why..." Tsuki muttered, "and yet... you still obeyed their orders..."_

_The leader grinned despite the pain he was in, "That's how the real world work, kid. You get an order, you follow it, then you get paid. If it's _Vongola_ ordering you. You don't ask questions."_

_Tsuki's fists clenched, she turned around and walked away, leaving the men burning behind her._

* * *

_"Neh, Gio... why are they after me?"_

_Giotto's eyes softened, he sat beside his descendant and gave her a sad smile, "It's because you have Vongola Blood."_

_Tsuki blinked confusedly, "But... they have it too..."_

_He shook his head, "Not my blood. They have Ricardo's blood running through their veins. But you..." he ran a hand through her hair, "you have my blood, which makes you more legitimate than them. If you wish to, you can have Vongola and they won't be able to do anything about it."_

_"That's why Nono sealed my Flames..."_

_"Nono _tried_ to seal your Flames," he corrected, "but he doesn't have that kind of power, he merely put a barrier on your Flames."_

_"You broke the barrier..."_

_Giotto smiled softly and shook his head, "Iie. Your Flames are far too powerful to be suppressed by a barrier. All I did was help make it weaker."_

_"Can Flames be sealed?" the little girl wondered out loud._

_The former boss stared at his descendant for a minute, before slowly nodding his head, "Hai... I created a technique that can do just that."_

* * *

_Tsuki shut her eyes tightly, biting her lip to stop herself from crying out loud in fear of making _them _mad. She flinched when one of them ran his hand up her legs, feeling the blade on her neck scrape the skin, her tears fell rapidly as the man slowly removed her underwear._

Tou-chan, Tou-chan, please. Save me. Save me... I'm scared... please, Oto-chan!

_She should call her Flames, she can think of ten different ways she could escape from the two men holding her down, but she can't, she can't do it because if she did, they would go after her Kaa-chan. She released a whimper when the man brushed a finger against a particular spot between her legs._

"_Heh, I bet you'll be real tight..." the man purred, grinning at the whimpering girl, getting more and more excited as her tears kept falling down her cheeks. He leaned down and licked her tears, his grin widening when she cowered._

Tou-chan... help me...

_She couldn't stop herself from crying out loud when the man pulled down his pants, she shut her eyes and pleaded. _Please, please, please, Tou-chan! _Everything seemed to freeze when she felt something rub against her trembling thighs. The overwhelming feeling of knowing that he will never come suddenly rushed to her._

He won't come... he will never come... he won't save me, not me... not even Kaa-chan...

_Tears continued to stream down her face as the man began to push something inside her._

He won't come! He won't come! He won't come...!

"If you scream. We'll kill your mother."

I'm... the only one who can protect Kaa-san...

"Come quietly with us and do as you're told."

I'm... the only one who can protect us...

"We're going to have some fun."

No one else will save me... and her. Only me.

_Despite the realization, she still wished for a miracle to happen, for someone to appear and save her, just this once, because if she tried to help herself, her mother would pay the price, she couldn't risk it, she will _never _risk it._

_"What... are you _herbivores _doing?"_

_Tsuki didn't think her savior would come in the form of an eight-year-old. Before she knew it, she was begging the kid known as Hibari Kyoya to train her._

"_Who are you?"_

_"Sawada Tsukiyomi."_

"_Sawada Tsukiyomi..."_

_She felt him grasp her chin and made her look up so she was staring straight into his gray eyes._

_"From now on, you're going to be mine."_

_Her eyes widen, "Wha—?"_

_"Until you acquire the strength to break free from me. You. Are. Mine."_

"You know, for such a kid, you're quite the beauty. Such a shame, I bet you'll grow into a mighty fine woman, just the thought of it almost makes me want to take you back to Italy with me."

"Wait, Boss. Why don't we have some fun first?"

Again... just like that... I'm being treated like...

_Her eyes hardened, "I'm not an object, Hibari-san."_

_The smirk on his face widened, "Hn."_

But I need to get stronger... I need to be stronger... I have to protect myself and Kaa-chan...

_Making up her mind, "But..." she stood and held his gaze, "if being yours means that you'll train me... then ok. I'll be yours."_

_Gray eyes and sunset-amber ones locked._

_"But one day, I'll break free, and no one, no one will ever claim me as easily."_

"_Wao," he smirked, "come with me, Small Animal."_

_She wiped her eyes and followed after him without even glancing at the dead bodies. A small smile made its way to her face when she noticed that he was using a less crowded route to lead her to where they were going._

"_How many times have you been attacked?"_

_Tsuki was startled by the question after a long period of silence from the older kid. "This was the fifth time."_

_Hibari stopped and looked at her._

"_I managed somehow..." she answered before he could ask how she dealt with it, seeing the unsatisfied look on his face, she bit her lip and said, "I'll... explain everything after we reached wherever it is we're going."_

_He raised an eyebrow, but nodded nonetheless._

"_Where are we going, Hibari-senpai?" she asked when they continued walking._

"_My house," he stated. "Call me by my given name, Small Animal."_

_The younger pursed her lips, "Then call me by mine too."_

"_Do not tell me what to do."_

"_I'm not," she pouted. "If it's up to us what we call each other, then I'm calling you—Ya-kun!"_

_Where she obtained the guts to speak like that to the kid who's infamous for his... disciplinary methods, she would never know, but since he wasn't telling her off..._

"_Ya-kun, are we there yet?"_

_She almost bumped into his back when he abruptly stopped, smiling innocently when he turned and glared at her._

"_Herbivore..."_

_Despite the threat in his tone, the younger of the two pouted, "I think I like Small Animal better."_

_Kyoya stared blankly at her, "You're not a Herbivore."_

"_What does that even mean?"_

"_It means you're not weak," he blurted, his eyes narrowed, "you can defend yourself... why didn't you?"_

_Tsuki bit her lip, "I don't know how to defend myself... but I do know how to escape..."_

_He fought down the urge to sigh when he saw that she wasn't going to elaborate, "Fine."_

_The two continued to walk for a couple more minutes until they finally stopped in front of a traditional Japanese mansion. Tsuki could only stare in awe as the older kid opened the door and made his way inside, immediately following after him when he gave her an impatient look._

"_Ojamashimasu..."_

"_Kyo-kun, you're home early."_

_A woman dressed in a beautiful kimono with her black hair tied in a Japanese bun greeted them as soon as the doors closed, gray eyes blinking in surprise when she noticed the little girl standing behind her son, "Kyo-kun, who's your friend?"_

_Tsuki bowed and introduced herself, "Watashi wa Sawada Tsukiyomi, hajimemashite!"_

"_She's so cute! I'm Kyo-kun's mother, Hibari Kaya."_

_Kyoya sighed in annoyance when his mother squealed and hugged the girl, "Haha, will you please not cut off the Small Animal's oxygen. I need her breathing if I were to train her."_

"_Train?" his mother stared at him for a minute before letting the girl go. "Kyo-kun, what's going on?"_

"_Ano... I asked Kyoya-san to train me so I can defend myself from... the people who kept on attacking me," Tsuki answered honestly, her intuition telling her that the woman in front of her can be trusted._

_The woman turned to her son, who nodded in confirmation. "Why would they attack you?"_

"_Who's attacking who?"_

_A man with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes walked towards them, regarding the girl with a stern look on his face, "Who is she?"_

"_She's Tsuki-chan, a friend of Kyo-kun," Kaya answered, "this is my husband and the head of the household, Hibari Takashi." She smiled down at the girl, "Let's talk in the living room, shall we?"_

_Tsuki let the woman hold her hand as she led the way to a spacious living room. Sitting down on one of the cushions, she accepted the tea that was offered to her by one of the maids with a quiet thank you._

"_So..." Kaya started after the four of them have sat down, "Tsuki-chan, what's this about you being attacked."_

"_I... my father is Sawada Iemitsu... he's the boss of CEDEF..." Tsuki saw the shift in both the adult's eyes, "you... know what CEDEF is..."_

_Takashi's eyes narrowed, "What do you know, girl?"_

"_A lot... but not enough..." she bit her lip, "I know what CEDEF is. I know what Vongola is... I know about the Dying Will Flame..."_

"_You shouldn't be talking about these things with people you hardly know," Kaya chided softly._

"_I know, but Kyoya-san saved me. He deserve to know the truth."_

"_What truth?" Kyoya demanded, not liking the fact that he was the only one who doesn't seem to know what was being talked about._

_Tsuki turned to the patriarch, "Hibari-san..." she smiled in gratitude when he nodded before turning her attention back to the younger Hibari. "Kyoya-san... the reason why I'm being attacked is because... I'm related to the founder of the most powerful Mafia Family in the world, Giotto di Vongola. He created the Vongola Famiglia almost 400 years ago in Sicily, Italy, he retired to Japan and left the Family to Ricardo, who became the second boss of Vongola. Giotto met his wife here, in Namimori and eventually, they had a kid, who in return had his own kid, and so on. Now, here I am, I'm... Giotto's direct descendant. Vongola Primo's direct descendant," she sighed, "the sons of the current boss of Vongola wants me dead because of that. They're the ones ordering the assassins to kill me."_

_"Enrico is dead, they found Massimo's body a week ago, Federico and Xanxus are the only ones left," Takashi informed, his eyes closed and arms folded._

_Tsuki blinked in confusion, "Xanxus? Who's he?"_

_"The bastard son of Nono, he's the current boss of Varia, an elite independent assassination squad under Vongola," Kaya explained._

_"I thought Nono only had three sons..." Tsuki muttered._

_"Small Animal, you still haven't explained how you escaped from all their attempts."_

_She shook her head, "Right. My intuition helped me... I don't know how it works, but somehow, my instincts always seem to just... know..."_

_"The famed Vongola Hyper Intuition. Not much is known about it, only that those who carry the Blood of Vongola has it."_

_Kyoya turned to his father, "Vongola Hyper Intuition?"_

_"It was said to be a power that could see through all...," Takashi stared at the girl, who met his gaze head on, "it seems like yours is... much too powerful than Nono's sons."_

_"It's 'cause I have Primo's blood, only his descendants inherited his Hyper Intuition."_

_"I've met Vongola Nono, his intuition is sharp, even his sons—at least the three that I've met—but theirs are nothing compared to yours." The older regarded the girl with an attentive look, "What makes you different from them? All of you carry the Blood of Vongola, and yet..."_

_Tsuki bit her lip, "Can... can I trust you?"_

_"That depends entirely on you, Sawada Tsukiyomi," the patriarch answered._

Giotto...

"Believe in yourself, Principessa."

_She let out a breath and met their gaze, "Ricardo and Giotto... they're not related by blood."_

_Kaya blinked in surprise, "But... Primo and Secondo was said to be cousins. If what you're saying is true, then Nono, and the rest of his predecessors..."_

_"There are two Blood of Vongola, one from Primo, and one from Secondo. Primo made Secondo his apprentice when he tried to pickpocket him, Primo saw his untapped potential and decided to train him to become his successor since he didn't have one yet. He knew though that if he named Secondo his successor, there will be people who will oppose, so he gave him his name and said that he was his cousin. The..." she hesitated for a bit but continued, "Vongola Rings accepted him because Primo_ named_ him his successor and gave him the name Vongola, thus creating another line of Vongola Blood, when Primo retired to Japan, Secondo's descendants became the main successors of the Family."_

_"How did you know that? In all the history books of anything related to Vongola, Primo and Secondo were written as cousins," the older Hibari asked, genuinely confused._

_"You believe me?" Tsuki asked in astonishment._

_Kaya smiled softly at her, "You don't look like someone who knows how to lie."_

_Tsuki smiled back, "Someone told me, I can't tell you who, but... that person is someone who will never lie to me, he's the reason why I can use this..." her hand glowed with her Flames, shocking the other three occupants in the room, "properly."_

_Takashi stared wide eyed at her, "That's..."_

_"Sky Flame..." Kaya breathed out, her hand going to her chest. "You're a Sky..."_

_Kyoya stared at her hand in wonder, "I'm keeping her. I don't care what you say. I'm keeping her," he said resolutely, giving his parents a look before turning his attention back to her, "Small Animal, you will teach me how to use that. In return, I'll turn you into a Carnivore."_

_Kaya and Takashi shared a look, they both know that there was no stopping this, the girl was a Sky, and they have no doubt—with how powerful the girl's Flame is—that their son's dormant Flame have already bonded with hers. And once a Hibari finds their Sky, that was it._

_Takashi sighed, "You will be under the protection of the Hibari Clan until Vongola claim you, and I'm sure they will with how fast Nono's sons are dropping. Right now, the only ones who know you exist is Nono, the CEDEF Boss, and Federico, but in due time, Vongola will start digging, and they will find you." He turned to his son, "Make sure that she's ready when they do."_

_Kyoya nodded._

_"What about Kaa-chan?" Tsuki asked, "Will she be protected too?"_

_Kaya smiled, "Of course."_

_Tsuki stared at the two in the eyes, satisfied with what she saw, she nodded, "I'll trust you. You guys are not like Iemitsu. You value your family."_

_Takashi raised an eye brow, "You don't think the young lion value his?"_

_A blank look came over her face, "I__emitsu value his Family—__Vong__ola, not his family, because if __he does, he'll be here with Kaa-san and I. And I won't be sitting here, being offered protection by people who doesn't have anything to do with me."_

_"You're being protected because our son chose you," Takashi clarified. "You are his Sky, which makes you important to this family."_

_Tsuki head tilted to the side, "Kyoya-san's Sky? But I didn't do anything."_

_"Do you know what bonding is?" Kaya asked, tucking a hair behind her ear when it came loose after she nodded, "Can you tell what Kyoya is?"_

_"A Cloud..." Tsuki nodded to herself, "he's a Cloud."_

_"A powerful Sky can bond even without doing anything, they can attract even the most reclusive element. The Hibari Clan does not bond with any elements, we don't follow anyone, not even a Sky. A Hibari bonding with a Sky is almost unheard of because it rarely happens, so when a Hibari does bond with one..." Takashi smirked, "we as a clan, will do everything we can to protect that person."_

_Kyoya's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, "Haha, Chichi, Small Animal..."_

_"Sky, Rain, Cloud, Sun, Mist, Lightning, and Storm," Tsuki started, "these are the seven attributes of the Dying Will Flame, each attributes has its own characteristics: Harmony for Sky, Disintegration for Storm, Tranquility for Rain, Activation for Sun, Hardening for Lightning, Construction for Mist, and Propagation for Cloud. The Dying Will Flame is the life-force of a person, it's the manifestation of the energy that runs through us. It's connected to our emotions too, when two elements find each other, they either bond or reject each other. The... person who explained everything to me said that I'll know what bonding is when it happens..."_

_"You said I'm a Cloud."_

_She nodded, "Un. Kyoya-san is a Cloud, but... you have a bit of Mist too..."_

_Kaya blinked, "He does?"_

_"Un. I'm sure."_

_"Good job, son. You found a worthy Sky," Takashi praised, ruffling his son's hair, smirking when said son slapped his hand away, "I'll leave the explaining up to you, Hime."_

_Tsuki's eyes widen, "Hibari-san?"_

_"Call me Takashi, little Sky. You're here to stay after all, it'll be weird if you call me Hibari when almost everyone here is a Hibari."_

_"And you can call me Kaya."_

_The little Sky stared at them before slowly nodding her head, a smile spreading across her face, "Hai. Arigato, Kaya-obasan, Takashi-oji."_

_The two smiled back._

_Kaya shook her head, "We should be thanking you, Tsuki-chan. We hardly ever find a Sky we could bond with, so thank you, for finding our son."_

_Tsuki turned to the blank-faced kid, but she noticed the slight reddening of his cheeks, "I think... he was the one who found me."_

Your Flames probably called for his... _Takashi thought, he nodded at his wife and left the two kids._

_"We should call him. She knows about the Tri-ni-sette, I'm sure of it."_

_"Aa."_

_Kaya smiled excitedly, "I can't wait to see him. It's been a while since Fon-nii visited."_


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Sky, Part 2: Gathering

_When his sister-in-law called and told him that his nephew—his very, _very _reclusive nephew—found his Sky, he wasn't sure whether to believe her, or call a doctor to have her checked out. He was a Hibari too, he knew firsthand how hard it is to bond with someone, especially a Sky, and it wasn't because of who he was, compared to his clan members, he was the most sociable Hibari to ever been born. As soon as his conversation with his brother's wife was over, he immediately flew back to Japan to meet the Sky his darling nephew bonded with, which led him to his current predicament, brown eyes staring up at the unique colored eyes of the Sky standing in front of his clan's estate._

_"Hello. My name is Fon."_

_"You're... an Arcobaleno..."_

_Fon smiled faintly and nodded, his brother having informed him about the young girl's knowledge about... certain things that she really shouldn't even be aware of, "Hai. Indeed I am."_

_Tsuki stared at the toddler before remembering her manners, "Gomen. I'm Sawada Tsukiyomi, hajimemashite."_

_The door opened before he could reply._

_"Fon-nii! Why didn't you tell us you were coming today? We could have picked you up from the airport."_

"_I didn't want to bother you and Takashi."_

"_It's not a bother at all." Kaya bent down and picked him up, giving both his cheeks a kiss, "Looks like you two have met," she said, smiling at Tsuki._

_Tsuki smiled back and nodded._

"_Let's go in. Kyo-kun's been waiting for you."_

_The three walked in and went straight to the living room where the patriarch of the family and his son were waiting._

"_You're late, Small Animal."_

_Tsuki resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the obvious annoyance in his tone, "I had to help Kaa-chan with something," she shrugged._

_Kaya pouted, "Kyo-kun, aren't you going to greet your uncle?" she asked, giving her son a look._

_Tsuki looked away to hide the amused smile on her face when the Skylark reluctantly greeted his equally amused uncle._

"_It's nice to see again too, Kyoya. You've gotten so big," there was a hint of teasing in the Arcobaleno's tone that made his nephew almost hiss in annoyance._

"_Let's go, Herbivore."_

_Tsuki giggled and followed the Skylark after saying goodbye to the adults._

"_She's... Iemitsu's daughter?" Fon asked once he was sure that the two kids will not be able to hear him._

_Takashi nodded, "Aa. It seems like Nono's sons found out about her."_

"_All of them?" Fon questioned._

"_She didn't know about Xanxus, she never mentioned him too, so I think it's safe to say that he didn't know about her either."_

"_You mentioned that Kyoya is training her... what for?"_

"_To defend herself against those who wants to get rid of her."_

"_She..." a sad and angry look spread across Kaya's face, "she asked me if I could help her get an implant... a birth control implant."_

_Fon's eyes widened, a dreadful look coming over his face, "Was she...?" he breathed a sigh of relief when Kaya shook her head._

_"She was sexually assaulted more than ones, the last time almost succeeded, but Kyo-kun arrived and saved her. He agreed to train her after that. We met and she told us everything that's happened to her, even though we promised her full protection..." Kaya sighed sadly, "she still wanted to get an implant, 'just in case'."_

_Fon frowned, "How old is she?"_

_"She just turned 7."_

_The frown on the Arcobaleno's face deepened, "That's... an awfully young age."_

_Takashi and Kaya nodded in agreement._

_"It is."_

_"Can I hear her story?"_

_Kaya smiled softly when she saw the protective glint in his eyes, "Of course."_

* * *

_Tsuki breathed heavily, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, "One more time."_

_"Iie," Kyoya answered, "we're done for the day."_

_Tsuki's brows furrowed, she was about to argue with him but sensed a presence making its way towards the training room located under the clan's estate._

_"What is it?" he asked, eyes narrowed._

_"Someone's coming... it's a Storm, so it must be Fon."_

_The door opened and said Storm walked in._

_"Hello."_

_"Why are you here?" Kyoya demanded in annoyance._

_Fon raised an eyebrow, "I wanted to see how her training's going."_

_"It's doing fine, thank you." Tsuki answered before his nephew could, "I wanted to talk to you, so I'm glad you're here."_

_Fon blinked, "About what?"_

_"The Arcobelano. The Vongola Rings. The Mare Rings..." Tsuki bit her lip, "a lot of things actually."_

_Fon slowly nodded, "Ok. I'll try to answer everything you ask, but I must warn you, everything I say must never leave this room. In our world, knowledge is a liability, the more you know, the more in danger your life is," he warned._

_"I know. But... knowledge is also the most powerful weapon. And I need all the weapon that I could get."_

_Fon stared at the Sky in front of him, fighting down a shiver of excitement trying to claw its way up his spine. He could see why his brother and nephew took her in, her potential was overwhelming, the pull of her Sky Flame too powerful to resist._

_"Why do you need weapons?"_

_The 7-year-old grinned in reply._

_He sighed, "What do you want to know?"_

_"Can you tell me what you know about Vongola?" she asked, sitting crossed leg on the floor._

_Fon nodded and sat in front of her._

_"As you already know, the Vongola Famiglia is the most powerful Family in the world, the current boss is Timoteo Vongola or Vongola Nono. He had four heirs, now he only has one."_

_"I thought only two of his four sons are dead?" Tsuki asked._

_Fon nodded, "Enrico and Massimo are dead, Xanxus is MIA, so only Federico is left."_

_Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "MIA? Wait, who is Xanxus? I really thought Nono only had three sons."_

And Giotto never mentioned him.

_"Xanxus is his youngest son," Fon clarified, "he's more powerful than his older brothers, much more powerful. If it wasn't for Vongola's strict succession rule, I'm sure he would have been the next in line. His Flame is an extremely powerful and rare type of Sky Flame, the Wrath Flame."_

_"Wrath Flame?" Kyoya turned to the Sky beside him, "You said there was only seven types of Flames."_

_Tsuki shrugged, "It's the rarest Flame in the world, and there was only one person who possessed it. I didn't know there was someone else who did."_

_"She's right. Wrath Flame is even rarer than Sky Flame. Vongola Secondo was the only one who was known to possess it but then, one day, Nono announced that he has an illegitimate son who can wield it."_

_"Xanxus is illegitimate?"_

_The Arcobaleno nodded._

_"And he's MIA?"_

_"Hai."_

_"Do you know what happened?"_

_He shook his head, "No one knows where he is."_

_"What else can you tell me about Vongola?"_

_"Nothing much. I'm not a member, and I've never done any job for them. The things that I do know are probably things that you already know."_

_"Can you tell me about the underworld? I want to know everything... including the Triads."_

_Kyoya felt the air in the room shift, making his gray eyes narrow dangerously, his hands unconsciously gripping his tonfas._

_"I can tell you everything you want about the underworld, but... you should know that the Triads are off limits," Fon said softly._

_"I know... but... like I said, I need every weapon I can get my hands on."_

_Fon sighed, "If I may ask... why are you so interested with the Triads? They have nothing to do with the Mafia."_

_The young Sky shrugged, "That's true... but the Triads are part of the underworld."_

_"Gomen, Tsukiyomi."_

_Tsuki nodded in understanding, "Ok... then, how about an agreement?"_

_The Storm blinked, "An agreement?"_

_"If you tell me _everything _that I want to know... I promise to one day free you from the Triads."_

_His eyes widened at the proclamation._

_"I don't know if I'm going to be Decimo, and I may be young, but I'm not naive enough to think that I can run from the Mafia. I need to be ahead of everything, the Hibari Clan can help me, but there are things that even they don't know."_

_"What you're asking from me can get me killed, not just me, but even you, your mother, and my family."_

_"I won't tell if you don't," the younger quipped. "Please, Fon."_

_The Arcobaleno locked his gaze with sunset-amber eyes, "If, _if _I tell you, what are you going to do with that particular knowledge?"_

_The grin on her face made the two Hibari shiver._

_"I'm going to use it as a weapon."_

* * *

_"Watashi wa Yamamoto Takeshi, you two can call me Takeshi."_

_Meeting Takeshi and his dad was probably one of the best things that has ever happened to her, not only did she gain a new friend, she also met a man who began treating her like a daughter, filling in the gap she didn't know existed inside her, the gap that was supposed to be filled by her father. The fact that her mother and Yamamoto Tsuyoshi immediately clicked right after meeting each other was a bonus. Fon (who decided to stay in Japan and help with her training) accepted the new addition to his semi-apprentice's family and gave her permission to tell him all the things that he told her when she decided to tell Takeshi everything. It didn't take long for Takeshi to activate his Flame (he turned out to be a Rain), Kyoya decided to help him infuse his Flame to his katana after learning new techniques from his dad, making the technique even more powerful._

_In the months that passed, Tsuki finally decided that she's going to take over Vongola with a certain goal in mind. Giotto began teaching her how to use his techniques, which led her to discovering new techniques of her own. Takashi and Fon gave the three kids lessons regarding everything they need to know about the Mafia._

_"The Vongola Famiglia, the Sinclair Famiglia, and the Cavallone Famiglia," Takashi listed, "they are the top 3 Mafia Family in the world. You all know about Vongola, so let's go to the Sinclair. The Sinclair Famiglia is actually older than Vongola, they used to be the most powerful before Vongola came along. Its current boss is the Ninth boss, Kai Sinclair, he has two kids, Ren and Raven Sinclair. Ren is 5 years older than Kyoya, he was supposed to be the next in line but he declined, so Raven became the heir, she's the same age as Takeshi and Tsuki."_

_"Reborn—considered to be the world's strongest hitman and the strongest Arcobaleno—has been training her since she was 5."_

_Takeshi's head tilted to the side, "World's strongest hitman?"_

_"Hai. He's the Sun Arcobaleno, and a freelancer, he sometimes work for the three Family," Fon explained._

_"So... if Vongola decided they want me to be the next boss... chances are, he's going to be my tutor?" Tsuki asked thoughtfully._

_The Storm Arcobaleno nodded, "He's probably going to tutor Dino Cavallone too, the Ninth Boss of Cavallone, Daniel Cavallone's son."_

_"Hn. Only the best tutor for the heirs of the most powerful Families," Kyoya commented offhandedly._

_A look came over the young Sky's face, "Can you tell me more about Raven?"_

* * *

"_I still don't know how Tsuki talked us into doing this," Takeshi said, leaning back on his seat, trying to make himself comfortable in preparation for the long journey he's about to face. Flying from Japan to Italy._

_Kyoya scoffed, "She asked, we agreed."_

"_Yeah, but... why did we?"_

_Tsuki grinned, "Because I used my power of persuasion."_

_The two stared at her like she grew another head, making her pout._

"_Come on, humor me."_

"_They already did," Fon said, smiling softly at the three kids from his perch on Tsuki's lap. "Why do you want to meet Raven?"_

_She shrugged, "Just 'cause. I have this feeling that she'll be a great ally."_

"_She's a Sinclair," Takeshi pointed out, "her Family is an ally of Vongola, which by the way, you're trying to avoid being detected by, and isn't Federico still trying to kill you?"_

"_Yup."_

"_So... shouldn't you be in Japan? Where you're perfectly safe because the Hibari Clan are monitoring the people who enter Namimori to make sure that none of them are Mafioso."_

"_Raven is going to be our eye in the Mafia, so we need to meet her."_

_Gray eyes narrowed, "You sound so sure... have you already talked to her?"_

_Tsuki pursed her lips and looked away._

_Takeshi groaned, "Tsuki..."_

"_Come on, it worked out well. I emailed her and told her that I had to find a pen pal for a school project, of course she didn't buy it, so I told her who I was. She agreed to meet with us because she was curious to see where our meeting would lead to. But since we still had school, we couldn't go to Italy yet. I told her we'll go once summer vacation starts, and while waiting, we got to know each other and became fast friends. I told her the truth too, she promised not to tell her tutor anything, but she did tell Ren, she assured me that he'll be on board with us."_

_Fon hid the smile on his face at the look of utter disbelief on the two boys' face._

"_You trusted her?" Takeshi asked incredulously, "Just like that?"_

_Tsuki rolled her eyes, "Of course not. Truth is, I contacted her after Fon told us about her, but I only just told her everything a month ago."_

"_Why did you even contacted her in the first place?" Kyoya hissed._

"_Were you not listening?" she huffed, "She's the heiress to the second most powerful Family in the world. I need her."_

"_Why her?" Fon asked, a genuine look of confusion on his face._

"_Because..." she grinned._

"Raven Sinclair is... well, there are a lot of words to describe her; smart, strong-willed, kind, carefree, mischievous. Reborn once told me that the girl was a menace, always doing what she wants, never listening to what other people say, a true boss and a true Sky. One of the very few sparks of light in the darkness of the Mafia."

"_Raven is going to be the spark that will help me start a fire in the underworld."_

* * *

_Raven locked eyes with the girl in front of her, "Yo, Tsuki."_

_Tsuki smiled, "Raven," she greeted before turning her attention to the teen standing beside her, "Ren."_

"_Wow, you're really cute."_

_Takeshi and Kyoya flanked her side and glared darkly at him, causing him to raise his hands in defense._

"_Whoa, I didn't mean anything. It was just a comment."_

_Raven shook her head at her brother and grinned at the two boys looking ready to maim him, "You two must be... Hibari Kyoya and Yamamoto Takeshi."_

_Takeshi turned to her and smiled, "Yo."_

_Kyoya stared blankly at her._

_Fon shook his head at his nephew's superb social skills, "How did you get Reborn off your back?" he wondered._

_Raven smiled sheepishly, "I told Dad that I wanted to go on a brother-sister vacation with Ren without my tutor breathing down my neck. He sent Reborn on a mission in Russia, so we should have at least 2 weeks to talk without anyone catching wind."_

"_Are you sure this place is safe?" Takeshi asked while looking around._

"_Aa," the purple-eyed girl assured, "this is one of the hidden safe house of my Family."_

"_This is a penthouse. In the most populated city in Italy." Kyoya deadpanned._

"_True," Ren agreed, "but this place isn't owned by anyone from the Mafia. And you know, hiding in plain sight and all that. No one knows about this place except for me, Raven, and our parents."_

"_Why don't we start this," Raven said, flopping down on the white leather couch in the expansive living room._

_Ren moved to sit beside her, "What's your game, _Dea_?"_

_Takeshi blinked and turned to Fon, "_Dea_ means Goddess, right?" he asked, still not confident about his Italian vocabulary despite the hours Tsuki spent teaching him._

"_Hai."_

_Takeshi beamed. "Why are you calling her goddess?"_

"_Isn't Tsukiyomi the name of a moon god in Japanese Myths?" the teen asked, head tilted to the side._

_Kyoya grunted in confirmation._

_Tsuki blinked and let the nickname slide. She sat down in front of the siblings and waited for her friends to do the same, once everyone was comfortable, she started._

"_You guys know who I am, and with Federico the only heir left..." she bit her lip, "it'll only be a matter of time before I get dragged into your world. I doubt Iemitsu would keep my existence a secret knowing that his precious _Family _is in trouble."_

_The siblings nodded solemnly._

"_I've met Iemitsu," Ren started slowly, "that guy is one of Vongola's pride because he's so damn dedicated to the Family."_

_Tsuki's fists clenched, "I know," breathing out a sigh, she focused her gaze on the future boss, who stared back at her impassively__, "__which is why I need your help. I need an eye in the Mafia to keep me updated with what's happening so I can be ahead of them."_

"_Why should I?" Raven raised an eyebrow, "You're basically asking me to betray, not just my Family's closest ally. but also my own Family."_

_Tsuki was unperturbed despite the tension that was slowly easing its way in the room, "The Sinclair Family may be an ally of Vongola, but you guys don't fully agree with the Family's way of running things. The Sinclair is in no way innocent, but compared to Vongola, you guys are angels. Things have mellowed out with Nono's generation, it's not going to last, though," she smirked, "and you people know that. Vongola's power will continue to rise..." leaning back, a wicked grin slowly spread across her face, "what if I told you that I want that power completely in my hand."_

_Raven raised an eyebrow, grinning__ when she saw the possibilities __flashing in her sunset-amber eyes,_ _"And what exactly are you going to do with that power?"_

_Ren shook his head at his sister, a resigned look on his face. _She's in.

_Tsuki's eyes glowed with her Flames, "Chaos."_

_Later that night, Ren went into his sister's room and asked her why she agreed to ally with a girl they barely know. Raven stared at him like he's the world's most idiotic person for even thinking of asking that question._

"_You saw the same thing I did. Sawada Tsukiyomi will make our world her bitch, and I'll be damned if our Family is not standing beside her when that happens."_

* * *

_Raven stared at Tsuki, brows furrowed in confusion, "What's with the sudden interest?"_

"_Curiosity," the other Sky shrugged, "I've been hearing his name left and right. I want to know for certain if he's going to be a big threat."_

_She scoffed, "He's a big threat alright. I've only met him a handful of times, but that guy..." a shiver ran through her body, "he's the kind of person that makes you want to kill yourself just so you could get away from his presence. He's the embodiment of all things evil in this world."_

_Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "So... he's _that _powerful?"_

"_Yup."_

"_Then why didn't he challenge Federico for the boss title?"_

_Raven shrugged, "I don't know. My guess is he's content with being the boss of Varia... but then..."_

"_He disappeared."_

"_Aa."_

* * *

"_Gokudera Hayato?" Tsuki asked, pausing from reading the document in her hand._

_After coming back from Italy, Kyoya decided to establish a peacekeeping group in Namimori whose sole focus is—of course, maintaining the order in his precious town and school. The 9-year-old—along with Takesh and Tsuki, who both forced their way—annihilated the town's local gang of delinquents, making them choose between naming him their leader and giving him their loyalty, or spending the rest of their lives in his hit list, it didn't take them long to decide, so the Namimori Disciplinary Committee was formed. As punishment for not listening to him, Kyoya named the two Herbivores his sub-leaders, which basically means that the two of them will help him ran the committee._

"You need to start gathering your Guardians. We both know Federico's probably lying in a ditch somewhere just waiting for someone to discover his body."

"_And Gokudera Hayato is...?"_

"The descendant of Giotto Vongola's right-hand man, G."

_Tsuki rolled her eyes, "And that matters because...?"_

_She could hear the annoyance on the other Sky's tone when she replied, _"_Because_ who else is going to fit perfectly as your Storm? Look, just hear me out, ok, you may not have planned for it but Kyoya and Takeshi are both descendants of Primo's Guardians. Kyoya's the descendant of Alaude, the Cloud Guardian. Takeshi's the descendant of Asari Ugetsu, the Rain Guardian. See the picture? I've sent you his files and his Family's. Call me if you made up your mind."

"_Got it. Bye."_

_Tsuki ended the call and opened her mail on the phone, scanning for the files Raven sent._

_Two hours later, Raven grinned down on her phone as she read her friend's reply._

**_To: _**_R_

**_From: _**_T_

He's mine.

* * *

_"They found Federico's body."_

_Tsuki closed her eyes and sighed, "How long do I have?"_

_Ren gave her a sad look, "Nono called my dad and Don Cavallone, he told them about you. Dad told Raven and I. You have less than 5 years before Nono sends Reborn here."_

_"Kuso..." Takeshi gritted his teeth. "That's too soon. We don't have a Lightning, Mist, and Sun yet."_

_"_He's _Lightning." Kyoya said, "He won't say no."_

_"I know. But... it's not him..." Tsuki bit her lip, "I've bonded with him, but... he's not _my _Lightning. And as for Mist..." she turned to Ren, "do you have it?"_

_Ren grinned and held up a folder, "Everything's here."_

_"Thank you."_

_Kyoya's eyes narrowed, "Small Animal."_

_She started explaining without taking her eyes off the file in her hand, "A couple of months ago, I read a file about the Estraneo Famiglia. They were persecuted for conducting brutal experiments, one of these experiments is the Possession Bullet—which allows a person to take full control of their opponents, they were killed as soon as they stepped outside of their home. As far as the Mafia was concerned, they took care of the problem, but the thing is, I had my doubts. If the Estraneo was ballsy enough to actually _do_ those kinds of experiments... why stop? They created a bullet that allows you to _control _your opponent, there was no way in hell they were stopping there. I asked Raven if she could dig deeper, and she did not disappoint." Tsuki looked up and grinned, "We're going to Italy."_

_Takeshi blinked, "Why?"_

_"To meet our Mist."_

* * *

_Raven watched the two kids trying to kill each other, "Are you sure picking him as your Mist is a good idea?"_

_Tsuki tilted her head to the side, a thoughtful look on her face, "I didn't think it was a good idea. I just wanted him."_

_"A psychopath?"_

_"A dangerous and driven Mist."_

_"A Mist driven to destroy the Mafia."_

_Tsuki smirked, "Even better."_

_Raven looked at her warily, "What exactly is your plan?"_

_Tsuki gave her a devilish look before turning back to the two kids still trying to kill each other. "Kyoya, Mukuro."_

_Both kids stopped and turned to her. "What?"_

_She ignored the annoyed look on their face, "Mukuro, there are Famiglias that needs to be killed."_

_Mukuro grinned maliciously, "Give me the list."_

_"I have some rules, though."_

_Mismatched eyes narrowed, "Oya? Rules and I tend not to agree with each other. Not to mention," he glared at her, "you're not my boss."_

_She raised an eyebrow, "Who said I was?" giving him a serious look, she said, "If you want to destroy the Mafia, you can, I'll even hand you the blade myself. But I'll be damned if I let you involve innocent people in your journey. You can kill all those who are part of the Mafia, but don't touch those who aren't. You're a Mist user, you can get inside their head and find out if they did something. If they're innocent, erase their memories of everything related to the Mafia."_

_"If I say no?"_

_"I'll have someone else handle it. You're not the only choice I have."_

_The two locked eyes, one annoyed, the other inscrutable._

_Kyoya smirked when he saw one of them starting to waver._

_"Tsk. Fine," Mukuro relented, "I'll humor your wish, Hime-sama."_

* * *

"_Cloud, Rain, Storm, Mist, and Sun," Giotto listed, "the only one left is Lighting."_

_The 10-year-old shrugged, "Whoever my Lightning is, I'll meet them eventually."_

_Giotto smiled, "That's true."_

"_Gio..."_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Do you think I can lead Vongola?"_

_Giotto looked startled by the question, he sat beside his descendant and gave her a gentle look, "Why? Do you think you can't?"_

_Tsuki shook her head, "It's not that... it's just... I... I'm sorry, but... I care more about my friends' safety than Vongola. If my future involvement with the Mafia ends up compromising them... all bets are off. I'd choose _them_ over Vongola," she smiled bitterly, "how can I lead an entire Famiglia—the Mafia itself, if I can't even put them first?"_

_A proud look came over the first boss' face, "And for that alone... I believe that you and only you, can turn Vongola back to what it originally was," he tucked a loose hair behind her ear, "you can do whatever you want with Vongola. I trust you with the Family... and I'm sure that one day, you'll know just _how _you're supposed to lead it."_

* * *

"_Why are you so loud," Mukuro whined._

"_I AM NOT EXTREMELY LOUD!"_

"_Maa, maa."_

_Kyoya's eyebrow twitched, "Herbivores... be quiet," he hissed._

"_Food's here!" Tsuyoshi announced, coming out of the kitchen with two trays of assorted sushi on each hand._

_Tsuki followed behind him, carrying the sauce, "Would you look at that, you guys are still alive," she quipped, "Takeshi, Onii-san, Okaa-san needs help."_

_The two immediately stood and made their way to the kitchen._

"_Where's Ken and Chikusa?"_

"_We're here, byon."_

"_Oyaji asked us to deliver some sushi," Chikusa explained as he made his way to where Tsuyoshi was arranging the sushi, handing him the payment._

"_Arigato, Ken, Chikusa."_

"_Ara~ we're all here," Nana smiled brightly as Mukuro took the food she was carrying, her eyes softening when Kyoya pulled her chair for her._

_Tsuki grinned and looked at the table where her family was sitting. Oyaji was sitting at the head of the table with her mom on his left and Takeshi on his right, Mukuro was sitting beside him with Ken and Chikusa sitting next to each other beside him, Kyoya was sitting next to an empty seat with Ryohei sitting beside him._

"_What are you waiting for, Small Animal?"_

_She shook her and smiled, taking her sit in the empty seat, "Nandemonai."_


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Sky, Part 3: Growing Family

_Tsuki watched the scene in front of her impassively._

"_How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that when we're out in public!"_

_The purple-haired girl flinched at the berating tone of the woman, "G-Gomen..."_

_The woman sighed in exasperation before dismissing the girl with a wave of her hand, "You can go now."_

_The girl nodded timidly before walking off. Tsuki followed her inconspicuously._

"What are you doing?"

I'm following her

"I can see that," _she heard the fond exasperation in his tone, _"What I want to know is _why_ you're following her."

You sensed it too. She's a Mist...

"You already have a Mist, Principessa."

I know that, but... her Flames... it's begging for help... I can't just ignore it.

"I know."

* * *

_Takamura Nagi opened the door and blinked, "Who...?"_

_The stranger smiled, "Hi."_

"_H-Hi..." she replied hesitantly._

"_Watashi wa Sawada Tsukiyomi."_

"_T-Takamura Nagi..."_

_Tsuki's eyes softened, "Can I come in?"_

_Nagi bit her lower lip nervously, "My... mother doesn't like visitors inside the house."_

"_Ok," she shrugged, "then come with me."_

_Nagi's head tilted to the side, "Eh?"_

_Tsuki grinned, "Come on."_

_She walked off without waiting for a reply, not even looking back to see if the purple-haired girl was following. She stopped by a river bank and sat, motioning for the other to do the same._

"_You're probably confused."_

"_That's... true..." Nagi wrung her hands together and asked, "Sawada-san, why are you here?"_

"_For you."_

_Her eyes widened, "What are you..."_

_Tsuki met her gaze and said, "I want you to leave the life you have now and start a new one."_

_She ignored the shock look on her face and continued, "You're not happy. I saw the way that woman treated you... saw the way you just accepted it like it was normal. It _shouldn't_ be normal, Nagi..." she took her hand to hers, "I know you think that the only thing you can do is live with it, but that's not true. You can leave everything behind and start again. I'll help you. I promise."_

_Tears started to fall from her eyes at the earnest look on her face, she looked down and whispered, "She won't let me..."_

"_Who said she has a say in it?" Tsuki asked, an eyebrow raised. She stood and held out her hand, "What do you say?"_

_Nagi stared at the offered hand, a look of determination slowly coming over her face as her own hand reached up and clasped with hers._

_Tsuki grinned._

* * *

_Mukuro pursed his lips in contemplation, "How about... Kamiya?"_

_Ken wrinkled his nose, "That sounds weird, byon."_

"_It's not Japanese," Kyoya commented._

"_It doesn't have to be Japanese," Mukuro pointed out._

_The boxer crossed his arms to his chest, brows furrowed, "It's not extreme enough!"_

_Chikusa sighed tiredly at their antics and gave the girl beside him an almost apologetic look, "You don't have to agree with whatever name they come up with. As you can see, they're not good at naming, unless their thinking of names for their attacks."_

_Nagi smiled softly, "It's ok..."_

_He stared at her before shrugging. "You're the one who has to live with it."_

"_Live with what?"_

_The preteens turned to the entrance of the living room and saw Tsuki standing there with Takeshi._

"_We're thinking of a new name for her, byon," Ken answered._

_Tsuki raised an eyebrow._

"_After getting over the initial shock of you convincing a 10-year-old girl to run away from home," Mukuro started, ignoring the eye roll of his Sky, "we've decided that a new name is in order. If she's going to start anew, she might as well start from the beginning."_

"_Ah. So you guys are auditioning names," Takeshi said, taking a sit on the couch beside the heterochromatic kid._

"_Mukuro-san and Ken are auditioning names," Chikusa clarified, "Ryohei's commenting. Kyoya's vetoing."_

"_So far we have Kamiya, Kaya, Mirai, Misa, Sakura—yeah, that was a big no," Mu__kuro agreed, seeing the weirded __out look on the two newcomers' face._

"_There was also Nami, Mikasa, Robin—"_

"_Anime heroines?" Tsuki asked, incredulous._

_Ken pouted, "We ran out of ideas, byon!" he defended._

"_Chrome."_

_All attention turned to the thoughtful-looking preteen._

_He smiled at them and said, "How about Chrome? It's unique and new."_

"_Chrome," Mukuro tested, "I like it. Dokuro Chrome."_

_Kyoya looked at him, an eyebrow raised, "Dokuro?"_

_He shrugged, "We have the same element and she'll be training under me."_

"_Dokuro Chrome," Tsuki nodded, "It has a nice ring to it." She turned to her and asked, "What do you think?"_

_The newly christened girl smiled brightly, "I love it!"_

* * *

_Takeshi, Ryohei, and Chrome just finished their training session when the female Mist asked the question that's been bugging her since she met her Sky._

"_Neh... Why does Bosu want Vongola to think she's dame?"_

"_Because it's more fun that way!" Takeshi grinned._

_Ryohei nodded in agreement._

_Chrome blinked, dumbfounded, "Eh?"_

"_That's part of the reason. Tsuki wasn't the one who started it," the Rain said, "the one who started it was Iemitsu. You know how Nono tried to seal her Flames?"_

_She nodded._

"_Well, even though he didn't succeed, Tsuki still lost her connection with her Flames for a while and it... tampered with her motor skills, which made her lose her balance, Iemitsu thought she was just clumsy. When she heard the reputation Iemitsu was giving her, she rolled with it, said that it'll be fun to see their reaction when they find out how utterly wrong they were."_

"_But... I though Iemitsu has people watching Mama and Bosu?"_

"_He does," Ryohei answered, "Mukuro's extremely taking care of that."_

"_So... they really have no idea that Bosu is..."_

_They nodded._

_Chrome smiled softly, "Bosu is scary."_

"_She really is," the boxer agreed, a fond look on his face._

* * *

**_From_**_: R_

**_To: _**_T_

He's coming. You have less than 24 hours.

_An anticipatory smirk spread across the young Sky's face, "Let's see what you've got, Reborn."_

* * *

"_Yo, Tsuki."_

_Tsuki broke her gaze from the hitman and turned to the tall teen standing in her doorway, smiling as she greeted him, "Hi."_

_Reborn's eyes narrowed when the two teens continued their conversation silently, wondering how long they've known each other to perfect the art to the point that even someone like _him _couldn't catch on. _Yamamoto Takeshi, son of a former assassin, a natural born hitman like his father, potential Rain Guardian, _he thought, eying him. He stared impassively when the teen turned to look at him._

"_Yo," he smiled, "so you're the Sun Arcobaleno. I'm a friend of Tsuki, Yamamoto Takeshi."_

_Tsuki rolled her eyes at the look the hitman shot her, "I've known him my whole life. He knows what I know."_

"_Haha. Tsuki, we have to go. Kyoya'll bite us to death if we're late..." he shivered at the mental thought._

"_Hai, hai." Tsuki stood and grabbed her bag, turning to look at the infant over her shoulder, she asked,_ _"You coming?"_

_Reborn followed the two, watching them say goodbye to the matriarch before heading out._

"_How long have you two known each other?"_

_Tsuki shrugged, "Years."_

"_We're childhood friends," Takeshi said, hands behind his head._

_Tsuki ignored the annoyed look on the infant's face and said offhandedly, "If you're trying to pry for information, don't bother. We won't tell you anything unless we want to."_

_Reborn was about to say something but a loud voice cut him off._

"_EXTREEEEEEEME!"_

_A white-haired teen stopped in front of them and smiled brightly, "Extreme morning to you, Sawada! Yamamoto!"_

"_Ohayo, Senpai."_

"_Ohayo, Onii-san."_

_Ryohei beamed before his attention went to the infant, he pointed and asked, "Who's the kid?"_

"_The world's greatest hitman, Reborn," Tsuki deadpanned._

_His brows furrowed, "You didn't tell us he was here already."_

"_He just arrived this morning," she assured before introducing him to the quiet hitman, "He's Sasagawa Ryohei."_

_Reborn lowered his fedora to hide his expression. _Sasagawa Ryohei, potential Sun Guardian...

_Tsuki looked around for the younger Sasagawa, "Where's Kyoko?"_

"_She had to take care of something so she went on ahead."_

"_Dame-Tsuki, you're going to be late," Reborn reminded._

_Takeshi's eyes widened in panic__, "__Shoot! Kyoya'll kill me if I'm late again."_

_Tsuki grinned, amused, "Let's go then."_

"_Jump on, kid," the tall teen invited, gesturing at his shoulder._

_Reborn took him up on his offer and the three teens rushed to make it to school on time._

* * *

_Gray eyes narrowed dangerously when three students entered the gates seconds before the final bell rang. He stalked towards them and thumped them with a tonfa._

"_Mou..." Tsuki rubbed the back of her head with a pout, "we made it on time."_

"_Barely," the teen deadpanned. He gave the infant a sideway glance before focusing his gaze on the girl._

_Reborn's eyebrow twitched as another silent conversation took place right under his nose._

"_His name's Hibari Kyoya," Takeshi said, "he's the leader of the school's Disciplinary Committee."_

Another potential Guardian... _Reborn thought. He watched the prefect give a small nod before brandishing a tonfa and ordering them to get to class._

"_I'll extremely see you guys later!" Ryohei exclaimed as he broke off to head to his class on the other side of the building._

_Kyoya made a move to follow him for being so loud but a hand on his wrist stopped him, he turned to the owner and raised an eyebrow._

"_He'll get detention if he's late for his first class again," Tsuki reminded, releasing his wrist._

"_Hn."_

_Takeshi wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her inside the school,_ _"We'll see ya later, Kyoya," he parted over his shoulder._

* * *

_Reborn watched the interaction between his student and the baseball ace, baffled—not for the first time since he met the teens—at how completely at ease the two of them were. His eyes widened slightly when the young Sky turned her gaze to the exact location of his hiding place._

"_I know you're there. Meet us at the DC office."_

_Takeshi followed after his Sky, walking beside her as they made their way to the Skylark's office, he gave her a sideway glance and asked, "What are we going to tell him?"_

"_Not a lot," she answered, "just enough to have him treading cautiously around us."_

_He hummed in understanding. The two reached the office and entered without bothering to knock, finding the boxer sitting on the couch with his lunch laid out on the table and the prefect glaring at them, annoyed._

"_Don't you herbivores know how to knock?"_

_Tsuki ignored the rhetorical question and sat beside her Sun. The tall teen just smiled and handed him the lunch Mama made which the Skylark accepted with a grunt._

"_Ciaossu."_

"_Yo," Takeshi greeted, sitting on the floor in front of the couch. He pulled out his own lunch and started eating._

_Reborn waited impatiently for the teens to finish their lunch, taking note of the comfortable silence that descended in the room._ It seems like all four of them have known each other for a long time. According to her files, Sawada Tsukiyomi should be friendless.

"_You're going to give yourself an aneurysm if you keep thinking too hard."_

_The hitman turned to his student, his face blank._

"_I thought we've already established that the reports about me are complete bull?"_

_Tsuki—not expecting an answer—packed up her lunch, crossing her legs and facing the Arcobaleno impassively after she was done._

"_I know about Vongola," she started, ignoring the shift on the infant's expression,_ _"of course I also know that I was the last resort, that the only reason why you're here is because Vongola's desperate since all of Nono's heirs are dead, one is MIA. I must say..." Tsuki smirked bitterly, "I don't appreciate being treated as a spare."_

_Reborn remained quiet._

"_I don't trust you, or the man you work for, and I most definitely don't trust the man who pushed for me to be the heir," she crossed her arms, "as for Vongola... well... I have big plans for it, so I'll play along... I'll go along with Nono's plans and whatever _you _want me to do. I'll be the best student the world has ever seen. But, let's get one thing straight," sunset-amber eyes locked with obsidian ones, "it won't be you _or _that man who decide who gets to join _my _family."_

_The hitman forced himself not to react when the teen held up a hand and ignited her Flames, making it dance around her hand._

"_Stay away from what's mine, Reborn. And we won't have any problem."_

* * *

"_Oya?"_

_Reborn stared blankly at the newcomer who entered the living room, eyes briefly going to the two standing behind him before settling on the teen emitting a dangerous aura._

"_I wasn't informed that the Arcobaleno has arrived."_

"_He just arrived this morning," Takeshi said, looking at the older teen over his shoulder._

"_Hmmm. Is that so? Well, then, let me introduce myself, Hitman-san," he grinned, "My name is Mukuro, the two behind me is called Ken and Chikusa, Ken's the blonde one, Chikusa's the one wearing a beanie. A pleasure to meet you."_

_Reborn's eyes narrowed, not missing the fact that their last name remained unsaid. _An illusionist.

"_Ara? Mu-kun, I didn't know you guys were coming back today," Nana pouted._

_Mukuro smiled and walked over to her, kissing both her cheeks in greeting, "Gomen, Mama. We were able to finish our errand earlier than we expected."_

_Nana accepted the apology with a smile and proceeded to accept the other two's greeting._

"_Have you guys met Reborn?"_

"_Hai, we've had the pleasure," Mukuro said, sending a secretive smirk in the infant's direction. "Excuse me, Mama. I need to talk to the princess."_

_Nana nodded and watched him go before turning to the two newly arrived teens, "You two go rest, we'll go to Tsuyoshi's later."_

_Reborn turned to the only teen left in the room, an eyebrow raised._

_Takeshi shrugged and smiled at him._

* * *

_Tsuyoshi's eyes narrowed when he sensed a familiar Flame—_that wasn't supposed to be there_—heading towards his restaurant, the fact that said Flame was surrounded by the Flames of his kids did not settle the trepidation he was feeling, the realization and fear slowly clawing its way up his stomach._

Please... please... not her... Kami-sama, don't involve my kids in that world...

_He breathed out a sigh of defeat when his son entered, followed by his daughter, an infant sitting on top of her head. His eyes briefly met his, throwing all the accusation and anger he felt in the glance before schooling his feature back to its usual form just as Nana appeared in front of him, a gentle smile on her face._

"_Tsuyoshi, do you need any help?"_

_He smiled back, "Of course! We have an army to feed, after all," he joked._

I'll wait until you guys are ready to tell me everything. Until then... _he threw a glance at his kids before following their mother in the kitchen, his mind made up. _I'll keep quietly watching over you guys. And whatever you decide, Princess. I'll support it.

* * *

"_What is the name for a line of poetry with twelve syllables consisting regularly of six iambic feet, with a pause after the third?"_

_"Alexandrine."_

_"The first Prime Minister of Bangladesh?"_

_"Mujibur Rahman."_

_"A rod of length 13 meters has one end P on the x-axis and the other end Q on the y-axis. If P moves on the x-axis with a velocity of 12 meters per second, then what is the velocity of the other end Q when it is 12 meters from the origin?"_

_"-5 meters/second."_

_"If 3sinθ + 5cosθ = 5, what's the value of 5sinθ - 3cosθ?"_

_"±3."_

_"Who invented the periodic table?"_

_"Dmitri Mendeleev."_

_"The capital city that stands on the river Danube?"_

_"Belgrade."_

_"The most abundant gas in the earth's atmosphere?"_

_"Nitrogen."_

_"Which gases cause acid rain?"_

_"Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides."_

_"Mark Twain's real name?"_

_"Samuel Lanhorne Clemens."_

_"You saw a boat filled with people. It didn't sink but when you looked again you didn't see a single person on the boat. Why?"_

_"All the people were married."_

_"Explain this, a woman shot her husband, held him underwater for five minutes. and hang him. Right after, they enjoyed a lovely dinner."_

_"She took his picture and developed it in her dark room."_

_An eyebrow twitched._

_Tsuki grinned at the hitman, "Is that it?"_

"_Hmph." His brows furrowed, "Who taught you?"_

"_No one. I have photographic memory," she laid on her bed and stretched, "I read a lot during my free time when I was in elementary school, next thing I know I got ahead of all my lessons and I never stopped. By the time I reached middle school, I was way pass college level."_

"_Some of the questions I asked weren't part of any college curriculum," he pointed out, "unless you're in a specific program."_

"_The Hibari's library is massive."_

_Reborn didn't say anything after that. It wasn't news to him that his student knew the Hibaris. He can count on one hand the amount of times he's met one, so to say that he was surprised when his student brought him to their headquarters was an understatement. Seeing the young Sky talking to the current head of the clan so casually almost gave him a heart attack, almost, because he was Reborn, the world's greatest hitman. At least that answered some of his questions regarding his student. After that particular surprise, he finally accepted the fact that the girl is not someone he should take lightly, underestimating her would lead to his downfall as a tutor, and possibly, Vongola's._

* * *

_The silver-haired teen had to stop himself from seething when he saw the baseball ace with his arm around his boss' shoulder, counting to a 100 before making his way towards them._

"_Ohayo, Juudaime!"_

_Tsuki smiled, "Ohayo, Hayato."_

"_Yo," the tall teen greeted, a small frown forming on his face when he saw the twitch on the other teen's brow._

"_Ane-san."_

_They turned to the direction of the DC member, waiting for him to reach them._

"_Tetsu," Tsuki greeted._

_The second-in-command bowed respectfully, hiding a smile when she glared at him, "Kyo-san requests your presence."_

_She nodded before turning to her friends, "I'll see you guys at lunch."_

_Hayato was about to protest but the tall teen dropped an arm around his shoulder, cutting him off._

"_Aa. Call me if you need anything."_

_Takeshi waited until the two were out of earshot before pulling his arm back and leveling the fuming teen with a look, "You know... Tsuki wasn't joking when she said she wanted you to join us the moment she found out about you. She wanted to take you with us the last time we were in Italy, actually she wanted to kidnap you but then CEDEF caught wind that Tsuki wasn't in Japan so we had to hurry back, then they upped their security because of Federico..." he sighed, "Tsuki waited a long time for you, she was determined to have you as her Storm. I heard a bit about your past so I know that trusting doesn't come easy to you, Tsuki's probably the first person who opened your heart, but the thing is," he rubbed the back of his head, "we come as package, you get her, you get us, me, Kyoya, Senpai, and Mukuro, we're all her future Guardians. You want to be her right-hand man?" he asked, an eyebrow raised, "Learn how to trust us. If you won't trust us, we won't trust you. And you'll never be her right-hand man 'cause the right-hand is supposed to be the second-in-command, he's supposed to be the leader of the Guardians. You can't lead us if we don't trust you."_

_With that, he turned around and walked away, leaving the other teen staring after him._

* * *

_Tsuki blinked, "Poison Scorpion?"_

"_Aa. I was informed that she landed in Japan just this morning."_

"_What brought her here?"_

"_That's what I asked Raven..."_

_She raised an eyebrow when she saw annoyance flickering in his gray eyes._

"_She told me that Poison Scorpion is the Akambo's girlfriend."_

_She threw her head back and laughed. Kyoya sipped his tea as he waited for his Sky to calm down, lips twitching at the sound resonating around his living room._

"_Let me guess," she giggled, "I'm the mistress who took her 'lover' away from her and now she's here to take him back?"_

_The Skylark shook his head at the sadistic smile slowly making its way to her face._

"_This should be fun."_

_Later that day, while she was on her way home, she sensed a hostile presence heading towards her, whoever it was, they were doing a shitty job at it. She turned around and stared deadpanned at the girl riding a mommy bike, barely blinking when the girl removed her helmet and googles, allowing her pink hair to fall on her back._

_Tsuki resisted the urge to smirk when the assassin tried to hide a grimace after giving her a once over._

_"Please, have it," she said in false sincerity._

_Tsuki accepted the can of cola, watching her bike away with barely contained amusement. When she was out of sight, she looked at the can, threw it away, and continued home._

_"Tsu-chan! Have you had lunch yet?" Nana asked while putting down Lambo's lunch, the cow-child immediately scarfing it down._

_Tsuki nodded, "Hai, Kyoya wouldn't have let me leave if I hadn't."_

_Her mother giggled. "Can you please call Reborn and tell him that lunch is ready?"_

_"Hai."_

_When she reached her room and opened the door, she stopped in her tracks before she could enter, blinking at the sight that met her._

_"Ok... I give... what the hell?"_

_Her tutor smirked, "Good to know you're capable of being speechless."_

_She rolled her eyes, entering the room without getting anywhere near the hitman and the bugs crawling on his face._

_"So... are you going to explain? Or do you want me to make my own explanation?"_

_"These guys are my summer minions," he explained, a hint of amusement in his tone, "they collect information for me."_

_"Let me guess, your bugs just told you that Poison Scorpion is in town?"_

_Reborn stared blankly._

_Tsuki shrugged, "She just tried to kill me via poison can of Coca-Cola."_

Of course you would know who she is...

_She smiled innocently as if she heard his thoughts. Her eyes suddenly narrowed when she sensed a contained hostile presence coming towards her house._

_She stood from her perch on the bed and announced, "Your girlfriend's here."_

_Reborn watched her go, absent-mindedly wondering how his fellow assassin is going to handle her, a part of his brain wondering if his student would win if a fight were to break out despite the fact that he's never seen her fight._

_Tsuki stood leaning against the gate, waiting for the assassin to reach her._

_"Drop the act," she called out, pushing herself off, "you're not fooling anyone."_

_Bianchi's face went from friendly to hostile in a blink, "Looks like you're not as dumb as the report said."_

_She shrugged, "Your fault for believing Iemitsu."_

_The older teen opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by the arrival of the hitman._

_"Ciaossu, Bianchi."_

_Tsuki raised an amused eyebrow as Bianchi's face turned soft and bashful._

_"Reborn..." she muttered before looking down to stare at the hitman, "I'm here to bring you back. Let's do another big job together, Reborn."_

_Tsuki crossed her arms and leaned back, watching the show in front of her._

_"A peaceful place doesn't suit you," she said with tears in her eyes, "the place you should be in is the dark world where it's more dangerous and thrilling."_

_"I told you, Bianchi, I have a job to raise Tsuki," Reborn reminded, "so I can't."_

_A slender eyebrow rose when the pink-haired teen began to sob._

_"Poor Reborn... unless the 10th dies due to an accident or something, Reborn won't be free again."_

_Tsuki ignored her words and nodded in greeting at the two teens approaching them._

_"Hi."_

_"Yo, Tsuki."_

_"Juudai—"_

_Tsuki and Takeshi watched in interest as the color on their friend's face slowly drain from his face upon seeing the pink-haired assassin._

_"A-Aneki..."_

_Bianchi blinked in surprise, "Hayato."_

_"Oi!" Takeshi rushed to the Storm's side when he suddenly keeled over._

_"Hayato?" Tsuki swept his bangs off his forehead, grabbing both his cheeks, her brows furrowed when she saw the pale and greenish look taking over his feature. He looked up and felt his cheeks heating despite the nausea he was feeling after seeing how close her face was._

_"I-I'm f-f-f-fine, Ju.. Juudaime..." he stammered, turning around to—not only not to see his sister, but also to hide his red face._

_"He's always like that," Bianchi sighed, "strange boy."_

_Tsuki suddenly clapped her hand, "Alright," she declared, "I've had enough of this comedy. You can take the baby back with you if you want, but I doubt he'll come with you, stick around if you want, however..." she smiled sweetly._

_Bianchi felt her body tremble in fear at the sight._

_"If you try anything, _anything_ at all... I _will_ retaliate," the Sky promised. "If you're going to stay, you can stay with us, I don't think Hayato'll survive living with you."_

* * *

"_Takeshi. Focus." Tsuki scolded after noticing that his attention was going elsewhere._

"_But Tsuki..." he trailed off and smiled innocently when she gave him deadpanned look._

"_Che. Yakyu-baka, don't waste Juudaime's efforts!" Hayato chastised._

_The baseball ace rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Haha. Gomen, gomen."_

_Tsuki rolled her eyes, "Just read the damn book and quit trying to piss Hayato off."_

_"Eh?" the teen's head snapped to her, "What do you mean, Juudaime?"_

_"Takeshi has extra classes because his brain's on baseball during class, but if you get him to sit down and read the lessons, he'll be able to get it down."_

_The silver-haired teen looked surprised, he turned to the said teen, who grinned at him and handed him his homework which he promptly looked over._

_"This..." he trailed off, disbelief written all over his face._

_"I don't know the answer to number 7, though," Takeshi admitted._

_Hayato grinned triumphantly, "Ha! So you're still an idiot!"_

_Takeshi pouted, "How mean."_

_The other teen ignored him, focusing on solving the question, brows furrowing when even _he _couldn't answer it. "I don't get it..."_

_"The answer's 4."_

_The two looked at her, she smiled and shrugged nonchalantly before getting up._

_"Let's go eat lunch," she said, not waiting for the two to follow her out of her room._

_"Juudaime... is really smart," Hayato expressed, voice filled with awe._

_Takeshi clapped him on the back, "Yup. She is," he agreed._


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Sky, Part 4: Before the Game

_Kyoya, Takeshi, and Ryohei surrounded the doctor menacingly, two of them holding their respective weapons while the other was cracking his knuckles._

"_What are you doing here?" Takeshi asked, barely containing the need to drive his katana through the older man._

_The doctor gulped, "U-Um... I... Aah..." he stuttered, eyeing the sharp tip grazing against his throat warily._

_Gray eyes narrowed dangerously, "He asked you a question, _Herbivore_," he spat._

_Tsuki sighed, exasperated._

"_Shamal," her tutor greeted from his perch on her head, "I thought you'd be arriving tomorrow."_

_His face lit up, "Reborn! Can you tell these... fine gentlemen to kindly lower their weapons?" He released a strangled cough when a piece of metal pressed against his throat._

"_The Akambo does not tell us what to do," Kyoya hissed._

_Shamal looked at the hitman from the corner of his eyes, not daring to make any sudden move lest the teen decide to crush his windpipes._

"_Why are you here?" Ryohei asked, his arms crossed while leveling the older man with a look._

"_I called him here," Reborn answered, meeting the three sets of eyes evenly._

"_Kufufu. I didn't know you were a fool, Arcobaleno-kun," Mukuro jeered, materializing next to his friends._

"_Great," Tsuki grumbled sarcastically, "you're here. All we need now is Hayato."_

_The doctor's head snapped in her direction, only to wince when the tonfa scraped harshly against his throat, "Hayato's... here?" he wheezed out._

_Tsuki nodded. "Guys. That's enough. Lay off him. I asked Reborn to call him here," she admitted._

_Takeshi's head titled to the side, a look of confusion on his face, "Why?"_

_Shamal breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled back their weapons, the air surrounding them becoming less hostile as they turned to look at the Sky._

_She shrugged, "I thought it'd be beneficial to have him ally with us. He's a renowned doctor, and his skills as an assassin is great enough to hold the Varia's interest. Not to mention, he was Hayato's mentor."_

_Reborn's eyes narrowed, "_That's _why you wanted him here?"_

"_What other reason could I possibly have?" she inquired, an eyebrow raised._

_Shamal stood straighter, "As flattering as it is to have such a beauty's interest..." he swallowed nervously when four pairs of eyes narrowed, "I don't work for anyone. I happen to enjoy my status as an independent assassin."_

"_I'm not asking you to work for me, nor am I asking you to give up your independent status," Tsuki clarified, "I'm asking you to ally with us."_

_He met her gaze, "Why should I?"_

"_You shouldn't," she confessed, "allying with me won't do you any good. My idiots believe that trouble and I go hand in hand, and I agree but..." she smirked, "who knows? Maybe you'll get something out of it."_

"_What exactly do you want from me?"_

_Reborn hid his surprise. In all the years he's known the doctor, the man has never once been tempted to ally with anyone, hell, he _refused _the Varia's invitation. And now here he is, looking seconds away from agreeing to ally with someone he just met. Someone who (for now) had nothing to offer him._

"_When I call and ask you to treat someone, you treat them, _regardless _of their gender," Tsuki said simply._

_Shamal blinked, "That's it?"_

"_Aa."_

_The Arcobaleno fought to keep his face blank as he watched Shamal smirk, a look of comprehension dawning on his face. Whatever the man was comprehending, Reborn doesn't know._

"_Well, normally I'd say no to anyone asking for my service, especially if the service include men, but... you're not just _anyone, _now are you?"_

_Tsuki's lips quirked._

_Shamal observed the teens in front of him, seeing and sensing the potential they have and how it could affect the world he live in, most especially the only girl in the group. Even he wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of things when they eventually enter the Mafia._

"_You've got yourself a deal, Goddess-chan."_

* * *

"I refuse."

Tsuki groaned, "Come on, Kyoya."

He ignored her.

"Kyoya."

"..."

"Kyooooooooooooya."

"..."

"Kyoooooooooooooooooyyyyaaaaaaaaa."

An eyebrow twitched, "Be quiet!"

She glared at him, "Then quit being an ass and agree already!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm not going to have a stranger staying in my home."

Tsuki frowned, "He's not a stranger."

"He is to me. He hasn't earned the right to be part of my pact."

She sighed in resignation, knowing that there's no point in continuing that topic. "Kyoya, please. I don't want him living all by himself in a lonely apartment."

The Skylark's brows furrowed at the pleading look on her face, he breathed out a sigh before giving a barely noticeable nod. He suddenly found himself with an armful of Sky, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Kyoya."

The corner of his lips quirked up, "Hn."

_Bianchi stared at him in confusion, "I thought Hibari Kyoya hates crowding."_

"_He does, but it was Hime who asked him."_

_It seems that that alone was enough of an answer because Chikusa left after the words were out of his mouth, leaving a puzzled teen behind._

* * *

_"As written on this handout, these are the room assignments for the fall quarter committees."_

_Tsuki waited patiently for the bomb to explode as the committee representatives read the handout, elbow resting on the table, her cheek cradled against her palm._

_"Eh—what is this!? Some committee will be using the Reception Room!? That's sly! Who's that?" one student demanded._

_"That's for the Disciplinary Committee!"_

_Despite the fact that it was whispered, the committee's representative heard it loud and clear. She watched with hidden amusement as panic washed over the girl's face._

_"Do you have any objection?" Tsuki asked smoothly._

_The girl stood and bowed respectfully, "No! Absolutely not! G-Gomenasai, Sawada-san!"_

_"Just don't let Kyoya hear you complaining. I tried telling him that the Reception Room is a bit much, but the asshole ignored me."_

_The students stared at her with admiration in their eyes since she's probably the only one in the entire school who can call the most feared student names and get away with it._

"_But isn't it weird for a committee to use the Reception Room?" one student sneered._

"_You think so too, Nocchi?" his friend agreed._

"_I sense some conspiracy," his other friend snickered._

_Tsuki turned to them and raised an eyebrow, "Tree Planting Committee, eh? Why don't you guys speak up louder? I don't think everyone heard you."_

_The three froze._

_The leader, gathering as much courage as he could, spoke, "I-I don't think it's fair that the Disciplinary Committee has such a large space while the rest of us are stuck in small rooms with limited space... right, guys?" He looked around for support, but none of the other students were willing to meet his eyes._

_Tsuki nodded, "Hmmm, I can't disagree with that. I'll let Kyoya know," she assured, inwardly smirking when he paled._

_Later that day, the three students laid beaten on the ground, groaning and moaning in pain, two DC members standing over their form._

"_Your mistake wasn't because you defied him, it's because you tried to cross his queen," the DC member said in a matter of fact tone before walking away._

_Kyoya, who was watching everything from his office, yawned._

_Reborn, who was also observing, narrowed his eyes. _His queen?

* * *

_Mukuro stared amusedly at the hitman, "Relationship of Skylark-kun and Hime-sama?"_

_Reborn continued to stare expectantly at him._

_"They're not dating," Mukuro affirmed, "if that's what you're assuming," his eyes glinted as he added offhandedly, "she used to be his, though."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?" the hitman demanded._

_He smirked at his annoyance, "I'll let you make your own conclusion~" he teased before shifting out of the living room._

_Reborn clicked his tongue._

"_Sawada and Hibari?" Ryohei crossed his arms to his chest and gave the hitman a serious look, "Their relationship is extreme!"_

_Reborn left after that._

_The baseball ace blinked, wondering if the hitman was serious. "Kyoya and Tsuki? What's with the sudden interest?"_

_"Curiosity," he admitted._

_A look came over Takeshi's face, causing a wide grin to spread across his face, "Ah. What did you see?"_

_Reborn raised an eyebrow, "There's something to see?"_

_"Why are you asking then?"_

_"I heard one of Hibari's subordinates call her 'his queen'."_

_"That's because she _is_ his queen. Those two are the King and Queen—the Golden Combi—of Nami Chuu, if not the whole Namimori. Tsuki's the only one who can rein him in—not that she actually does. And she's the only one who he actually listens to."_

_"But they're not together?" Reborn clarified, a hint of confusion and genuine interest evident in his tone._

_They stared at each other for a second, one impassive, the other slightly amused, which kind of pissed the hitman off._

"_Just leave it be, kid," Takeshi advised, "you're just going to get a headache trying to figure them out."_

* * *

"_A favor?"_

"Hai."

"_You know you can ask me anything."_

"I know that, but... this favor might be a bit... much..."

_Tsuki rolled her eyes at his hesitance, "Fon. What is it?"_

"I need you to take I-pin under your wing."

"_Who's I-pin?"_

"She's a kid I took care of."

_An eyebrow rose, "Is that your way of saying you have an illegitimate child?"_

"No, Tsuki, it's not,"_ he said, a hint of amusement in his tone, _"she's a kid I picked up when she was still a baby. I trained her."

_"That's surprising."_

"Indeed. But she's a promising assassin. She reminds me of a certain someone."

_She grinned, "It's no wonder you took her in. Don't worry, I'll take care of her."_

"Arigato."

* * *

"_We've been waiting for you, Tsuki."_

_Tsuki ignored him along with the two other people in her room and instead, focused her gaze on the chair in the middle of the room, knowing exactly who was sitting there._

_The chair turned._

_She smirked at his stunned expression, "Dino Cavallone. Tenth Boss of the Cavallone Famiglia."_

_"Ummm... Ahhh... Reborn?" he squeaked out, a deep blush spreading over his cheeks, eyes still staring at the teen._

_Reborn clicked his tongue, "Hmph. Pick your jaw off the floor, Pipsqueak-Dino."_

_"You can stay over if you want," Tsuki suggested, "it looks like you have a lot of questions."_

_Dino nodded slowly, "Yeah... I think that'll be a good idea."_

* * *

_"Tsuki-nee's sprinting ability is ranked 1st out of 86,202 in the Mafia. Running Ability is ranked 1st out of 86,202 people in the Mafia. Stamina is ranked 1st out of 86,202 people in the Mafia. Tsuki-nee's ranking in overall abilities is... 1st place."_

_The kid pulled out a book the size of his upper body out of his jacket, writing down the rankings he just made._

_"I haven't seen her in half a year but her rankings have changed, she moved up to the very top. Way to go, Tsuki-nee."_

_Tsuki coughed to get his attention. His head snapped to her, a wide grin spreading over his face when he saw her._

_"Yay! You're here! I finally get to meet you!" He ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "I... I've been calling you Tsuki-nee! Can I keep calling you that?"_

_"That's fine but..." she bent her knees so she was eye to eye with him, "what's the Ranking Prince doing in my room?"_

_"I invited him here."_

_Tsuki stood straight and raised an eyebrow, "Why?"_

_"Why don't you tell her, little prince," Mukuro drawled, sitting crossed leg on the floor, his back resting against her bed._

_Fuuta nodded and brought his hands together, "Tsuki-nee, please help me."_

_"Ok."_

_The kid blinked, "Eh?"_

_She shrugged, "I'll help you. It's not like I can turn down a kid asking for help, especially if the Mafia's involve."_

_"I can... I can stay?" he asked hesitantly, finding it hard to believe that it was that easy._

_She nodded._

_"Yay! Arigato, Tsuki-nee!"_

_Tsuki smiled down the kid hugging her, ruffling his hair affectionately, "Hm."_

_Mukuro chuckled amusedly at the scene in front of him, "Looks like his ranking really is spot-on."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Ah!" Fuuta exclaimed, he ran back to his book and began flipping through the pages until he got to her name, "Tsuki-nee's ranking in 'judgement when taking people in' is 1st."_

_"That may be true, but it doesn't mean I'm not as bad as the people who wants you for their own gain," Tsuki commented offhandedly._

_Fuuta smiled brightly, "You're also 1st in 'Mafia Boss who doesn't need my rankings to conquer anything including the whole world'."_

_Mukuro burst into a fit of laughter, "Kufufufufufu. We're keeping him," he declared, amusement shining in his eyes._

_"Great job, Tsuki. You found a great ally," Reborn praised._

_"I was beginning to wonder when you'll show," she deadpanned._

_He smirked._

* * *

_"Yo, Tsuki!"_

_She watched the mafioso trickling in her room, bemused. "You know, you people didn't have to enter too."_

_They just grinned at her in reply._

_"They just wanted to see you," Dino said, kissing both her cheeks in greeting. "How have you been?"_

_"Same as always."_

_"Good." He looked down and stared scrutinizingly at the kid staring back at him, "There's no mistaking it! This is the real Ranking Prince Fuuta."_

_"Hello, Bucking Horse Dino," Fuuta greeted._

_Dino grinned, nudging the teen with his elbow, "It's quite a feat to have earned his trust, Tsuki."_

_"Hn."_

_"Let's get right down to business," Dino stated, a serious look coming over his face, "there's a reason why I came today. Fuuta, I'd like to purchase the ranking of a certain Mafia Family."_

_Tsuki raised an eyebrow at that._

_"Lately in our area, a Family called the Gospella has been passing firearms to hoodlums and bringing harm to civilians. We can't let them get away with it. I want a list of their most influential weapon dealers. Can it be done?"_

Well, that's a first. Dino-nii being all business-like. _Tsuki thought, watching with a bit of admiration in her eyes._

_One of his subordinates stepped forward and opened a briefcase._

_"Of course, we have money."_

_"That won't be necessary." Fuuta assured, "Dino ranked number 1st out of 82,263 when it comes to Mafia members who care for the welfare of civilians! I like that kind of boss. And besides, Dino-nii, who is Tsuki-nee's sworn brother, is also my brother, right?"_

_Dino and Tsuki blinked._

_"I'm glad to have such a nice little brother!" Dino smiled brightly, "Thanks a lot, Fuuta, Tsuki."_

_"Here's a copy of the ranking."_

_"We're in a hurry, so we gotta go. Thanks again!"_

_Tsuki and Fuuta watched them leave._

_"It's hard to come by a chance like this. Why don't you get some rankings too, Tsuki?" her tutor suggested._

_"You have rankings on everything?" Tsuki inquired, eyes staring straight into dark brown eyes._

_Fuuta nodded, "Un."_

_"Then I don't think that's a good idea," she stated._

_"Don't worry, Tsuki-nee. I will _never_ tell anyone your important rankings," the kid said strongly, "your secrets are safe with me. I promise."_

_Tsuki's eyes softened, "I know."_

_Reborn pulled the tip of his fedora down to hide the wary look in his eyes. _What could you possibly be hiding, Dame-Tsuki?

* * *

_It was during dinner time when her mother suddenly suggested something._

"_A new house?"_

"_Un."_

"_Oya? What bought this on, Mama?" Mukuro inquired, avoiding the gooey mess of purple lump on the table while he reached for seconds._

"_I've been thinking about it lately, but don't you guys think that our house is too small to hold all of us together?" Nana asked, handing Lambo's bowl back to him after he asked for more rice._

"_Now that you've mentioned it..." Tsuki trailed off, a thoughtful look on her face. "Hayato had to live with Kyoya since we didn't have any spare rooms left. Mukuro, Ken, and Chikusa had to room together because Bianchi moved in." _Well, the three of them were already rooming together since Chrome used to stay in Bianchi's room before she moved to Kyoya's._ "Lambo, I-pin, and Fuuta are sleeping in Kaa-san's room, and Reborn's staying in mine."_

"_Which, by the way, we still don't approve of," Mukuro reminded, giving his Sky a pointed look that she ignored._

"_I'm all for buying a new house, byon!"_

"_I as well," Chikusa agreed while helping I-pin peel an egg._

"_Hmm, that sounds like a good idea. If we move to a new house, maybe Hayato can live with us," Bianchi expressed, a bit wistfully._

_Ken scoffed, "He will, byon. He nearly cried when Hime suggested he live here."_

_"We get to have our own room?" Fuuta asked, eyes sparkling along with I-pin at the thought of having their own room._

_"Fufufu. Of course you little brats will still share a room," Mukuro said offhandedly, "13 bedrooms are a bit much."_

_"That's ok. When you guys move out, we get to have your rooms," the kid quipped, smiling brightly at the amused teen._

_Nana smiled at their enthusiasm, "Great! I'll talk to Tsuyoshi tomorrow."_

Tsuyoshi?_ Reborn had to stop himself from asking it out loud, but with the way his student glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, his expression must have revealed something, or she was just really good at guessing thoughts which apparently includes his._

_"So we could start looking for a vacant lot," the matriarch continued._

_The table paused (all except Lambo who was ignoring everyone in favor of his food) and asked simultaneously, "Vacant lot?"_

_Nana nodded, "I don't think we'll be able to buy a house big enough to fit all of us, we'll need at least 11 bedrooms and a big dining room after all."_

_"11?" Reborn wondered out loud._

_"Room for all of us," Tsuki answered before her mom could, "including Takeshi and Hayato."_

_"Yamamoto has his own house," he pointed out._

_Mukuro rolled his eyes, "He spends enough nights here, you'd think he didn't have one."_

_Tsuki kicked him playfully under the table, "Not like you're one to talk, you stay at Oyagi's place too."_

_"Only when I'm too lazy to make the extra walk," he defended._

_She giggled. "I'll ask Takashi-oji if he has a list."_

_"And I'll rank the best place to live in."_

_"Arigato~"_

_Later that night, when Reborn asked why Mama was going to talk to Tsuyoshi about building a new house instead of talking to her husband, Tsuki looked at him like he should know the answer by now._

_"Why would she call him? Even if she does, it's not like he's going to pick up. She stopped attempting to tell him about all the happenings in our lives years ago." _If only she would stop convincing herself that he's still worth waiting for. Everything would be perfect.

* * *

"_What do you mean you have to go?"_

_His eyes softened, "The Sky Ring is pulling me back. It seems like it's finally time."_

"_Time for what? You can't leave me," Tsuki hated how whiny she sounded, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. "Giotto..."_

"_We will meet again. But until then, try to give Reborn a chance, and..." he reached out and ruffled her hair, "good luck, Principessa."_

_Tsuki closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she was alone in her room._

* * *

_Kyoya closed the door behind him and leaned against it, his arms crossed to his chest._

_"I know," Tsuki said without looking at him, eyes still trained on the ceiling, "Raven already told me."_

_"Your plan?"_

_"It's not like there's anything else we could do," she pointed out, "if we don't fight, they'll kill us."_

_"We fight, there's no going back. We'll be considered Vongola."_

_This time, she looked at him when she said, "I _am_ Vongola." She pushed her body off and sat crossed leg on her bed, facing the older teen, "We're going to gamble."_

* * *

_"Tsuki, it's getting late."_

_"I'm staying the night."_

_Tsuyoshi's brows furrowed, a worried expression settling on his feature when he heard the downcast in her tone. He sat next to her on the couch and stared expectantly._

_"Iemitsu's coming home."_

So it's finally time... _Tsuyoshi thought dejectedly, he shook it off and focused on the teen. "Nana must be jumping in joy."_

_The side of Tsuki's lips turned up bitterly, "I don't know. I didn't wait for her to tell me that he's coming. I found out from Takashi-oji."_

_"Tsuki..."_

_She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed, "I don't want him here."_

_"It's not like he's going to stay," Tsuyoshi comforted, "he'll be gone before you know it."_

_He knows it was wrong of him to say something like that, but he lost any respect he had for the scum who left his family to protect his Famiglia, who continued to lie to them even when he's gone. The former hitman swore to himself that he would protect and make his family happy, he'll be dammed if he let Iemitsu get in the way of that._

* * *

_"Get up."_

_Tsuki groaned and pulled the cover over head, "Go away."_

_She heard his faint footsteps heading towards the direction of her closet, out of curiosity, she pulled the cover off and watched him rummage through her clothes._

_"What are you doing?"_

_Takeshi didn't answer. Tsuki blinked curiously when he pulled out her civilian clothes instead of her school ones._

_"If you're not out by the time I finish half my tea, I'm dragging you out kicking and screaming," he threatened after tossing her the clothes._

_She rolled her eyes and watched him exit the room. Sighing, she pulled herself off the bed and headed for the bathroom._

_"I was just about to get you."_

_Tsuki raised an eyebrow when she saw that he was also dressed casually, "What's going on?"_

_"We're going out," Takeshi answered simply before finishing the rest of his tea._

_"Eat up," Tsuyoshi placed her breakfast on the table and smiled at her, "you're going to need all the energy you can get. The kids should be here any minute now."_

_"We'll make sure you have fun today, Juudaime!" Hayato exclaimed, also wearing his civilian clothes._

_"We have school," she deadpanned, wondering when they became brave enough to suggest they skip school despite knowing the dire consequences of doing so._

_"It's only prep today. Kyoya gave us the green light," Takeshi assured as if reading her thoughts, "... as long as we let Reborn tutor us for the lessons we skipped."_

_Tsuki opened her mouth to retort, but the arrival of the kids cut her off._

_"Lambo-san is here!"_

_"I-pin too!"_

_"Tsuki-nee!" Fuuta gave her a brief hug on the waist before heading to Tsuyoshi, "Papa, can I have sushi?" he asked, tugging on his sleeve._

_He shook his head, "No. You can have sushi for dinner later."_

_"Dame-Tsuki, hiding away won't do you any good," Reborn chided from his perch on Mukuro's shoulder._

_"I wasn't hiding," the Sky defended, "I just didn't want to see Kaa-san swooning over the fact that the _donneur d'oeufs _is back."_

_"Tsuki," Tsuyoshi scolded._

_"Gomen," she muttered._

_Reborn had to stop himself from smirking._

_"Kufufu. If it's any consolation, I don't think Mama's all that thrilled that he's coming back. She wasn't dancing around the kitchen like she usually does when she's excited about something."_

_The older Yamamoto ignored the knowing glint in the teen's eyes. "Finish your breakfast before leaving. I'm going to open the shop."_

_Mukuro went with him since it was his turn to help around._

* * *

_Kyoko sat beside Tsuki and handed her a cola, "Did you have fun?"_

_She smiled and nodded, "Hai."_

_And she did, for the whole day, she didn't even think about the impending doom coming to Namimori. After meeting up with Kyoko and Haru, the teens spent the whole day having fun, they went to the arcade and played, bought some new clothes (the girls), a wristband (Takeshi), and some CDs (Hayato), they took pictures in Purikura. Lambo predictably caused some minor troubles, but nothing they couldn't handle, the important thing was, him, Fuuta, and I-pin were able to experience being a kid._

_"That's good," Kyoko smiled, "you looked a bit sad this morning. Haru-chan and I were worried."_

_"I'm fine, Kyoko," Tsuki assured, "I just—" her eyes suddenly narrowed._

_Kyoko blinked at the sudden change, "Tsuki-chan?"_

_The teen ignored her. _Superbi Squalo is here.

_"Tsuki-chan!"_

_Tsuki looked up and saw a figure falling towards her, she didn't pay it any mind and started thinking of ways for her and the girls to escape. _We have to get out of here. He can't see me, not yet. _She didn't even blink when a blur jumped up from behind her, pulling the figure by the collar and tossing him away from her direction, making him land on the hard floor instead of on her._

_"You alright?" Takeshi asked after landing beside her._

_She nodded._

_"My apologies," the stranger said, rubbing the back of his head, only to stare when he got a good look at who he almost landed on. "Thou..."_

_Tsuki ignored the out-of-date word, her attention focused on the Rain Flame dancing around his forehead. _Hyper Dying Will... _Her eyes narrowed. _Who is he?

"Bosu..."

Chrome.

"I'm cloaking you, Bosu. Superbi Squalo won't see you."

Reborn?

"Will think that it's Mukuro-sama who's doing it."

Arigato, Chrome.

_Tsuki smiled reassuringly at Hayato, answering his silent question._

_Reborn stared at the newcomer. _Why is he here?

_"Vooooiii!"_

_They looked up and saw a man grinning menacingly at them._

_"What's this? Outsiders parading around. I'll slice up any trash who gets in the way!"_

_Hayato and Takeshi's eyes narrowed._

_"I feel a storm brewing," Reborn commented, a troubled look on his face._

* * *

_"You guys didn't have to pretend like you suck."_

_Takeshi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "We didn't want to reveal our cards before the game started."_

_"Everything worked out in our favor, though," Hayato stated, "at least now we know for certain that they're coming."_

_"I'm still trying to get used to the fact that you guys aren't normal, so can we please tone down the we're-ready-to-take-on-anything-because-we-know-everything bit," Dino pleaded, feeling like his head was going to burst if they kept on talking like that._

_Tsuki smiled slightly at him before a serious look came over her face, "Not that I'm not happy to see you... but what are you doing here?"_

_The Cavallone Boss matched her expression, "I'm here to give you something."_

_"The real Half-Vongola Rings?" Tsuki guessed, judging from the surprised look on his face, she was spot on. "He's here."_

_Dino sighed and nodded, "Hai. He came here with me."_

_She rolled her eyes, "He could've just given me the rings himself. What? Does he think that having someone else do it would change the fact that he just threw his daughter to the wolves?"_

_"Tsuki—"_

_"Don't," she cut off before turning to the teen lying unconscious on the bed, "I'm guessing he was bait."_

_It wasn't a question. Reborn and Dino didn't say anything._

_Giving him one last look, Tsuki headed for the door and opened it, "Call me when he's awake," she said over her shoulder._

_Takeshi and Hayato nodded at them before following after their Sky._

_"Juudaime..." Hayato started hesitantly, "you didn't take the Rings..."_

_"I want to see something."_

_"What?" Takeshi asked._

_"If the Rings are going to where I think it's going without me doing anything."_

* * *

_Tsuki stopped in her tracks when she reached the gate to her house._

_"Those clothes..." Takeshi looked at his blank-faced Sky worriedly._

_She let out deep sigh and continued on._

_"Oh, Tsuki, you were fine?" Bianchi greeted, "Iemitsu's back."_

_"I can tell..." she muttered, staring impassively at the__ props in front of the entrance. "__Where's Kaa-san?"_

_"Mama went out to buy food. Iemitsu devoured everything."_

_Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "You're not gonna call him Papa?"_

_Bianchi dismissed it with a wave, "The title's already taken. Hayato's not with you?"_

_"Kyoya asked him to take care of some random gang outside of town."_

_"Tsuki-nee!? You're fine."_

_"Gyahahahaha!"_

_Tsuki's eyes narrowed at the kids running towards her._

_"There are four Tsukis," Lambo drawled, his body swaying._

_She gritted her teeth, "That damn..." her fists clenched when she saw I-pin walking in circles. "Bianchi."_

_The older teen shivered slightly at her tone, "Hai?"_

_"Tell Kaa-san the kids are going to stay at Oyaji's place. I'm staying at Kyoya's." She took Lambo in her arms and grabbed hold of Fuuta's hand, letting Takeshi pass so he could carry I-pin, "Make sure Mukuro, Ken, and Chikusa doesn't kill him. I don't want Kaa-san to be more upset than she already will be."_

_Bianchi nodded, "Leave everything to me. I'll take care of Mama, don't worry."_

_Tsuki gave her a grateful look before walking out._

_"What happened?" the older teen asked the baseball ace before he could follow._

_"The Varia."_

* * *

_When Tsuki woke up the next day, she saw something glinting on her nightstand._

_"There was no way he could have entered my room without me sensing it. This was you, right? Reborn."_

_"You knew this was bound to happen."_

_Tsuki didn't say anything, she took the ring on her hand, surprising Reborn when her expression softened as she held it._

Giotto...

* * *

"Basil? You want me to investigate Basil? A CEDEF agent. You've already sent Chrome, Ken, and Chikusa digging and now you want to find another skeleton? What's going on?"

_"Basil can enter Hyper Dying Will Mode."_

"And? The mode may be uncommon but it's not impossible for someone outside of Vongola to enter it."

_"Just... do me this favor. I don't know what you'll find, but... I need to know if my hunch is right."_

"Based from your track record... you might just be."

_Tsuki watched the two sides sizing each other up, trying to pick out who has which Ring, eyes zeroing in on the man standing imposingly behind the black-clad group._

Xanxus... _Her brows furrowed upon sensing his Sky Flames—tainted, menacing, and powerful, taking note of the fact that he also has a bit of Storm in him. She smirked when the Varia started griping their Rain for being wrong about them, she couldn't stop the laugh that left her lips at the indignant look on his face._

Game on. _She thought while stepping out and revealing herself to the group._

"... daime..."

"Juu... ai... me..."

"Juudaime!"

Tsuki opened her eyes and stared at the upside down face of her Storm Guardian, "Hm?"

"It's time to go."

She accepted the offered hand, letting him pull her up.

"Do you have it?"

Hayato nodded as he followed his boss out of the Dojo, "Hai, Juudaime."

"Good." The young Sky smirked, "Time to end the masquerade."

* * *

Donneur d'oeufs - Egg donor


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Sky, Part 5: Sawada Tsukiyomi

"They're here, Nono."

The old man closed his eyes and nodded. "Send them in, Coyote."

Xanxus scoffed at the old man's attempt to appear relaxed while waiting for his precious successor to enter. _Let's see how well you can handle her, shitty old fart._

The door opened and the enigmatic heiress walked in with her Guardians (minus Lambo), Dino, Reborn, Raven, and—to Xanxus' disdain—Ren following behind her. Looking around the massive conference room in one of the hotels Vongola owned in Namimori, she barely glanced at the group standing at the corner and instead, focused her attention on the group watching her from one end of the long table in the middle of the room.

Sawada Tsukiyomi raised an eyebrow, "_Now _they're here? Aren't they a bit late?" she asked, gesturing at the Guardians standing behind Nono.

One of his Guardians (Storm, Tsuki noted) glared at her, "Show some respect, little girl."

Tsuki rolled her eyes, a gesture that pissed off—not just the Storm, but also the rest of Nono's Guardians. "Earn it, and maybe I will."

"Why you little—"

"Coyote."

The man named Coyote shut his mouth but didn't stop glaring at the girl, in fact, almost all the Ninth Generation Guardians were glaring at her.

"Shishishishishi. This is going to be fun."

Hayato clicked his tongue, "Why are _they_ here?"

Squalo shrugged, "We're apparently under house arrest. We're here because it's only fair, we want to know the truth too."

Hayato opened his mouth to retort, only to stop when he saw his boss shaking her head.

Nono's Cloud Guardian sent a glare at the Varia's direction, "I suggest you leave. This has nothing to do with you people."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed, Squalo looked like he was about to burst, but Nono spoke before he could.

"It's fine, they can stay, Visconti," he opened his eyes and looked straight into sunset-amber eyes, "if that's alright with you, Tsukiyomi-chan."

Tsuki shrugged, "I don't really care."

Her eyes briefly met his red ones before her attention went back to the old man watching the two of them intently, he wasn't the only one, his Guardians and Iemitsu were also watching them.

"Hayato."

The silver-haired teen handed her a folder, nodding her thanks, she gave Iemitsu a blank stare and tossed the folder in his direction, it coasted along the table before landing perfectly in front of him. "First things first, I want you to sign that."

Iemitsu looked at her, confused, "Tsukiyomi, wha—"

Tsuki cut him off with a look, "Just sign the damn thing."

She waited in boredom as he opened the folder and read its contents, a grin spreading on her face when the man's eyes began to widen.

"What is this!?"

The young Sky rolled her eyes at the man's stupidity, "Divorce papers. Okaa-san already signed it, all it needs is your signature and you'll be free to marry your precious Vongola."

Nono, his Guardians, and Iemitsu stared at her in astonishment.

Nono swallowed, composing himself, "Is this really necessary?"

Tsuki turned her attention to him, a challenging look coming over her face, "Yes. Why? Do you think it's not?"

The old man sighed and met her gaze, "Tsukiyomi-chan, I'm the one at fault, so please allow me to make things right."

Tsuki blinked and tilted her head to the side, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm the one who kept him in Italy. I'm the reason why he never went home, so if you're going to be mad, be mad at me. Hate _me_ and not your father."

She stared at him impassively with only a hint of amusement shining in her eyes, "You flatter yourself too much, Nono."

Nono's eyes widened, Xanxus fought down the urge to laugh at the look on his face.

"Pardon?"

The girl sighed as if she was growing tired of the conversation (earning her another glare from his Guardians), "Why the hell would I blame you? Don't get me wrong, you're not entirely blameless, and yeah, maybe you were the reason why he had to stay in Italy and abandon his family in guise of protection—don't you dare interrupt you piece of merda," she looked at the older Guardians, "and I do not want to hear any reprimand from _any _of you."

Reborn looked down to hide the smirk on his face, it's not every day you see people like _them _rendered speechless by a girl who's not even half their age.

When she was sure that no one was going to say anything, she continued, "I don't know if you ordered him to stay in Italy and frankly, I don't care, 'cause the fact is, _he _chose to stay, _he _picked his Family over Kaa-san and I, _he _chose to listen to your orders, _he _decided all of those, you didn't force him to, _no one_ forced him to. I don't know why you're trying to cover up his fuck ups, you're only making him look so damn pitiful."

Iemitsu slammed his palm on the table, he gritted his teeth and glared at his daughter, "I did all those to protect you and your mother, Tsukiyomi!"

Tsuki threw her head back and laughed—which usually sounded like an angel's, but this time, her laugh made shiver ran down everyone's spine with how malicious it sounded.

"Our _protection_?" she spat out the word like it was poison in her mouth, "So even in doing that you fucked up?"

A look of confusion came over Iemitsu's angry face, "What are you...?"

Tsuki stared at him straight in the eyes and pulled up her right sleeve, tapping on a particular spot, she said in an even tone, "I was 7 when I had to get a birth control implant, it was after the fifth failed attempt of rape. 7, Iemitsu. The first attempt, I was 6, imagine a 6-year-old girl being pressed against a wall by a scary foreigner, telling her shit that she couldn't even understand, the only thing she managed to grasp was 'Iemitsu Sawada', 'CEDEF', 'Vongola', 'Decimo'."

She smirked at the look on their (Ninth Generation, Iemitsu, the Varia) face, "The first time, I got lucky. The second attempt, same shit, same reason, someone heard us in the alley, I was saved. Third attempt, I heard something new, had my first kill too, the guy almost got me, but my Flames activated and the next thing I knew, they were lying dead on the ground, unrecognizable. Fourth attempt, I activated my Flames and killed them. The Fifth attempt, they threatened to harm Kaa-san if I refused to listen, so I listened. There I was, six-year-old, lying naked on the ground, a guy holding a knife against my neck and another one about to push his dick inside me... I was shaking like a fucking leaf, wishing—praying for my father to show up and save me, to make all the nightmares go away, you'd think I've learned my lesson by then, that no matter how much I hoped, prayed, and wished for you to save me..."

"_Tou-chan, Tou-chan, please. Save me. Save me... I'm scared... please, Oto-chan!"_

"... you never will..." her fists clenched, "my father never came. It was seconds before he could enter me when I realized that, the only one who can save me, is me. The only one who can protect me and Okaa-san, is me. I can't count on anyone to do it for me, not even my own _father,_ because no matter how much I wished for it, no matter how much I wished for you to arrive, you never will. _I _have to protect my mother. _I _have to protect myself. _I _have to protect my family because _I'm_ the only who can. Before my virginity could be ripped away from me, one last time, I prayed for a miracle to happen... and it did, a certain Carnivore arrived and saved me..." her face softened for a brief moment before the hard look came back, "it wasn't you, Iemitsu, so don't you fucking dare preach me about how you did all those to protect us, you were _never _protecting us. When I needed you most, when _we _needed you most. You. _Weren't. _There."

Silence descended in the room after Tsuki was done, Iemitsu looked torn between trying to defend himself and crawling under a rock, the Ninth Generation Guardians were avoiding her stare and trying not to look at her at the same time while their boss was staring intently at the table, the Varia members stared at her with a mixture of awe, disbelief, and respect, Xanxus' expression was unreadable, not even Squalo could gauge what the Varia Sky was feeling.

"Tsuki..."

The girl rolled her eyes and gave Iemitsu a bored look, "Shove it. I don't want to hear anything from you, what's done is done, there's nothing you can do to change what happened." She ignored his pleading look, "Honestly, Iemitsu... I don't hate you..." his eyes sparked with hope, "I used to loath you..." he flinched, "but, now, now I don't..." her eyes locked with his, "because you no longer matter, Iemitsu."

Iemitsu's body froze, even Nono and his Guardians flinched.

"You can do whatever you want to your heart's content, you can give the world to me and Kaa-san but it still wouldn't change anything. It's too late, Iemitsu, the only thing you could do now that would actually matter is signing the divorce papers. I'll give you two choices, sign it yourself or I'll sign for you, take your pick."

She raised an eyebrow at the look on his face, "You think I can't do that? I played with_ Xanxus. _I toyed with _Reborn_. What makes you think I can't forge signatures? You either sign those papers yourself or I will, either way I'm leaving this place with those signed."

The CEDEF Boss looked down and clenched his fists, "Tsuki... we can still talk about this—"

"I gave you that chance. You wasted it, remember?" Tsuki shrugged, "You could have salvaged your marriage but you didn't. Again, you chose Vongola. As for me? You were too late, 8 years too late."

"The Family needed me!" Iemitsu protested.

"AND I NEEDED YOU!"

Everyone's eyes widened at her outburst.

"_I _FUCKING NEEDED YOU! I NEEDED YOU TO SAVE ME! I NEEDED MY FATHER!" Tsuki took a deep breath, "Your family needed you, but you chose Vongola, you chose Nono, you chose to be the young lion, you chose to be the boss of CEDEF," she stared at him blankly, "you've made your bed. Have a nice nap."

"Tsuki, please..." Iemitsu tried one more time "at least... let me talk to your mother before I sign this."

She shrugged, "Ok."

Her family raised an eyebrow even the Varia did.

A smile broke out of his face, "Really?"

Tsuki nodded, "One question, one answer. Answer honestly and I'll let you meet her."

"Wha—"

"Am I your only child?"

The room sucked in their breath. Nono's intuition rang

Iemitsu's eyes widen, "O-Of course! What kind of question is that!?"

"Liar."

The look on her face made Iemitsu's entire being freeze.

"I have a brother, right?"

Xanxus' eyes narrowed as he watched the color drain from the CEDEF Boss' face.

Nono stared at her, "Tsukiyomi-chan... what are you...?"

"Oh wow," Tsuki giggled, "you even hid that from your precious _Nono. _Some loyal dog you are."

"Tsuki—"

She gave him a look, "Have the guts to stick to your decisions, Iemitsu."

"She's right, _Shishou_."

All heads turned to the quiet apprentice standing at the corner of the room, watching him make his way to where the girl was, he stopped in front of her and nodded. The Varia was confused—the kid was with Iemitsu during the Lightning Match, they though she hated his guts—but had a vague idea about what's going on.

"16 years ago, you met Kaa-san in Italy who was there on vacation, you guys talked and she enchanted you with her natural charm and kind nature, but you knew you couldn't start anything with her because she's a civilian, so when she confessed to you the day before she had to leave, you rejected her, and she left Italy with a broken heart. A year later, threats against Nono's heirs were being thrown left and right. Enrico, Massimo, Federico, and Xanxus, their lives were at risk with all the assassination attempts against them, if they died, Vongola would have no heirs left," Tsuki smirked, "_you're _the CEDEF Boss, _you_ can't be heir... but your child can."

A dreadful look came over the Ninth's face, "Iemitsu... what did you do?" he asked, eyes burning a hole on the quiet man.

Tsuki scoffed, "What do you think? The idiota got someone pregnant so Vongola could have a spare heir," she turned to the blonde man, "what was her name again, Iemitsu?"

The man remained silent.

"I think it was Bianca, Bianca Zaragoza."

"Bianca!?"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow at the baffled boss, "You know her?"

Nono nodded, "She's one of the high-ranking officer of Vongola. She died... 14 years ago..."

"Childbirth. She died of childbirth," Basil said, fists clenched to the side.

"Iemitsu, why didn't you say anything?" Nono asked, "That Basil-kun is your child."

"Because Basil-nii wasn't a Sky," Tsuki answered, "Iemitsu never claimed him, he wasn't of any use to him, why would he need a child who doesn't possess the Flame Vongola needed?"

Nono looked dejected, "Iemitsu..."

"Oh, I'm not done yet," Tsuki interrupted, "I haven't even gotten to the best part. See, while Bianca-san was 2 months pregnant, Iemitsu had to go to Japan for business, it just so happens that Kaa-san worked as a waitress at the restaurant where he had to meet his client. Kaa-san was still very much in love with him, Iemitsu fell for her charms all over again, one thing led to another and bam, I was conceived. Of course, he still went back to Italy the next morning and I'll bet he didn't even say goodbye. Kaa-san spent months trying to contact him, he ignored all her attempts, the day he found out that she was pregnant with me was the day Bianca gave birth and died. He was so disappointed that his son wasn't a Sky, he even pretended that he just found the child, abandoned at some place. After dumping Basil to one of his subordinates, he flew to Japan and proposed to Kaa-san, they got married, months later, the child he wished for was born, a child who bears the Sky Flame."

Tsuki clapped her hand once and smiled sweetly at Iemitsu, "Now, the divorce papers. This is the last time I'm going to say this. Sign it."

All eyes watched Iemitsu clutched the papers in his hand before putting it down and pulling a pen from his trousers. He handed the folder to Hayato, who glared darkly at him, before walking back to his Sky and showing her the papers.

"Great," Tsuki smiled brightly at her Storm before turning her attention to Nono, a serious look coming over her face, "Let's start."

She sat on the opposite side of Nono and waited for the old man to speak.

Nono rubbed his temples, looking like he aged a decade, "I don't even know where to begin."

The air around the room grew heavier as the boss-to-be and current boss of Vongola locked eyes.

"Are you a friend... or a foe?"

Xanxus' hand unconsciously went to the gun hidden inside his jacket, red eyes observing the old man's Guardians, fully aware that if the brat gave the wrong answer, they will kill her, and despite all that happened between them, the world would have to end before he lets her die.

Tsuki raised an amused eyebrow, "You're starting with the million dollar question?" she smirked, "Friend or foe? I wonder about that... I'll let you guys decided on that after I lay my cards down." She leaned back on her chair and regarded the Ninth Generation with an honest look, "Believe it or not, Nono dying was never in my agenda."

"You say that, but you let Xanxus ran rampant. You knew that Nono was inside Gola Moska and yet, you did not even attempt to save him. You knew that Xanxus could never be Vongola Decimo and yet, you still chose to push through with the conflict. What reasons could you possibly have to risk the entire Famiglia's future!?" Coyote demanded.

"Again with that?" Tsuki wrinkled her nose, "First of all, 'I let Xanxus ran rampant'? Nobody _lets _Xanxus do shit, he does whatever he wants regardless of what you tell him."

Xanxus smirked.

"Second, save Nono?" she raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that _your _job? You guys are his Guardians, not me, and as far as I know, it's the Guardians who protect the Sky, not a teenage girl."

Said Guardians gritted their teeth, fists clenched, the Varia snickered, Tsuki's family fought down the urge to laugh out loud.

"And besides, I knew Xanxus wasn't going to kill him immediately." Tsuki leaned forward and rested her chin on folded hands, "As for why I pushed through with the conflict... I have three reasons."

Coyote raised his eyebrow, "Oh? Care to tell us your reasons, _Principessa_."

Hayato bristled at the mocking tone, "Oi Ossan—"

Takeshi placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, "It's not worth it, Hayato."

"Tsk."

The Ninth Generation Storm Guardian's eyes narrowed at the not-so-subtle insult.

Squalo grinned. _You've got guts, brat._

Tsuki giggled, "Maa, maa..." she grinned at her Rain before turning her attention back to the old men. "First reason, I needed the Varia's acknowledgement. Even if they are an independent assassination squad, they are still one of Vongola's core, it'll be a pain in the ass if they continued to think that we're pushovers."

"Vooooiii! Who said we acknowledge you brats!?"

She gave him an amused look, "Heh? Well, it doesn't matter anymore, whether you guys acknowledge us or not, it doesn't change the fact that we won against you."

The Varia's eyebrow twitched at the cheeky remark.

"The second reason is... preparation for what's to come."

"What do you mean?" Nono asked.

"I'm not naive, I know how the underworld works. Fighting the Varia, it was a great opportunity for my Guardians and I to see just how dangerous it is. If we died fighting them, then that means we're not cut-out for the Mafia, but if we survive, that means we can handle it."

"That was a risky gamble, Tsukiyomi-chan."

Tsuki grinned at Nono, "Isn't that what life is all about? You either risk it all or cower behind closed doors. It wasn't that big of a risk anyway, if I wasn't 101% positive we were going to win, I wouldn't have gone through with it. I'm willing to risk a lot of things in this world, my family isn't one of those. I know _when _to fight. I don't gamble unless I know I'll win."

Her family grinned/smirked at her words, the Varia looked torn between being pissed or impressed.

"My last reason..." Tsuki leaned back on her chair and crossed her legs, "is to make a statement."

Her eyes glowed with her Flames—which circled around the room, trapping all occupants in a ring of Sky Flame.

"I can't be controlled."

Her Flames burned.

"I'm sure you all know that by now. I will do whatever I want. I'm not going to be anyone's _puppet._"

Burning eyes gave each and every person in the room—who wasn't her family—a look, particularly the young lion and the Ninth Boss.

"Not by either of you. Not by Vongola. And most certainly not by the Mafia."

The burning Flames around the room turned to ice, shocking those who didn't know she could use it, Xanxus more so than the others.

"I will take on the role of Decimo. But I'm not going to be Vongola's loyal pet, I plan on bringing it back to what it used to be. A vigilante group."

Wide eyes met her declaration.

"I can't erase all the blood the Family has spilt nor can I stop it from spilling more. But I sure as hell will make sure that the only blood it would spill are the blood of those who deserve it."

The smirk that spread across her face made every person in the room shiver.

"I'm going to turn the underworld upside down and I'm going to start from the very top. I will make Vongola prosper, but if I deemed it too dark for any light to shine on. I will burn Vongola to the ground."

Burning eyes locked with Nono's.

"To burn or to prosper. The choice is mine to make," she raised a hand and showed everyone the Sky Ring on her right middle finger. "_Mio e solo mio. Hai un problema con quello, Vongola Nono?_"

The room held its breath as the two Sky stared each other down with both their Guardians placing a hand on their weapons.

Nono felt a shiver of excitement ran down his spine as he stared at the burning eyes of his one and only successor, "_Nessuna. __Non ho alcun problema con quello, Vongola Decima._"

The ice shattered. The young Sky grinned, "Great."

Reborn looked down to hide the grin on his face. G_ood job, Tsuki._

"Anything else you want to know?"

Nono nodded, "A lot of things, actually."

Tsuki began telling them her story, how she met her Guardians, their training, the Sinclair, her relationship with a certain Arcobaleno, all the things that she's accomplished and done (much to their astonishment), and last, she told them about the failed assassination attempts of Nono's sons (shocking the old man and Iemitsu, even Xanxus).

"I didn't... I wasn't..."

Tsuki shook her head, "I know you had nothing to do with that. Don't worry about it, they failed, I'm here. They're dead, I'm not. That's all that matters."

"Still..." Nono bowed his head much to his Guardians protests, "I deeply apologize for all the things you had to go through because of my sons."

Tsuki shrugged and smiled, "Apology accepted."

"Arigato, Tsukiyomi-chan."

"Anything else?"

"I have a question."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "You're the Lightning Guardian."

"Aa. I'm Ganauche."

"Hm, what is it?"

"You can use Zero Chiten Toppa... why didn't you use it during your match with Xanxus?" the man asked with a genuine look of curiosity on his face.

Xanxus' eyes narrowed, he turned his head to look at the impassive girl and waited for her answer.

Tsuki sighed, raising a gloved-hand, she called forth her Flames and watched it dance around her hand, "Neh... Nono... did you know... that when you seal someone's Flames, you're basically putting them under Zero Chiten Toppa."

Nono and Xanxus' eyes widened.

"The only difference is the ice."

"T-Tsukiyomi-chan... what...?"

"You didn't seal my Flames 8 years ago, you put a barrier on it, if you had sealed it, I'd be a real Dame 'cause you'd have sealed my very being, my personality, my abilities, my aptitude. I would have been crippled and empty without my Flames and with my life-force tampered with." Tsuki rolled her eyes at the surprised and puzzled look on their face, "The Dying Will Flames is quite literally a person's life-force, the manifestation of their will, it's connected to their personality and even their emotions. A person's Flame is what makes them, them, every single person in this world has it, it flows through everyone, but only selected people can manifest it to its physical form. Zero Chiten Toppa is sealing away the life-force that flows through an individual's body, it's not the Flames you're sealing away, you're sealing _everything—_their strength, their energy, their movements, hence why the victim's body is encased in ice, the ice is the manifestation of the technique, not the seal. It's why Xanxus didn't stop aging, it was his life-force—his energy—you sealed, not his body."

"That... makes sense..." Lussuria muttered, finally hearing an answer to the question he's been wondering since his boss came back.

Nono leaned back on his chair, a look of horror on his face, "I... I didn't..."

"Zero Chiten Toppa is something you use on the devil, not on your Famiglia," Tsuki shook her head, "I understand that it was your job to stop him, you are the boss _and _his father, but using Zero Chiten Toppa as punishment, seriously? Judging from the look on your face, I'm guessing you didn't even know the full extent of that technique, why use it when you don't even understand it?"

"Xanxus staged a coup against the Family! He betrayed Vongola!" Coyote defended his grief-stricken boss.

Tsuki nodded, "Yup, he did, didn't he. There's no excusing that, betrayal is betrayal, no matter what angle you look, but the thing is... wasn't Nono the one who betrayed him first?"

She ignored the look her words received, "Nono made him believe that he was his real son, yes he did it because he didn't want to hurt the child, he adopted Xanxus with good intentions, and that is to give him a better life than what he had. He treated him and loved him like he was his real son, but in doing so, he made Xanxus believe that he was _Vongola Nono's_ son. That one day he could be Decimo. This is just me assuming things, but Xanxus took over the Varia when he was what? 15? 16? He took over as Varia's boss because the chances of him becoming Vongola Decimo was slim since he's fourth in line, but then Enrico died, Massimo too, this got him closer to the throne, and while in the process of getting stronger and knowing more about his Wrath Flame, he discovered that he was adopted, therefore he can never be Decimo. The one person in this world whom he thought would never betray him... betrayed him," she gave Nono a sad look, "you loved him way too much, Nono, and that love made you believe that lying to him and not telling him the truth was the right course of action, you love him too much to hurt him with the truth because you saw how much he love Vongola, the Famiglia he thought was his. Telling him the truth would've broken him, true, it would have crushed him to know that he can never lead his Family, but still... you should've have just told him..." she clenched her fists, "because it would have been better if the words came from you..." chuckling bitterly, she turned her eyes on Iemitsu, "finding out the truth on your own... hurts way, _way _more than hearing it from the person you trust most."

She turned her attention back to Nono's Lightning Guardian, "You asked me why I didn't use Zero Chiten Toppa on Xanxus. Why would I do something that cruel? Even if Xanxus and I hadn't..." she bit her lip and shook her head, "I never planned on using that on him. After all the shit he's been through, me using that technique on him would have been the icing on the cake, and before you blow up and accuse me of pitying you," she gave the Varia Boss a bored look, "I didn't, Xanxus. If I did, I would've exposed all your plots before the fake letter could be read and saved you the embarrassment of having the truth about your identity exposed."

Nono coughed to relieve the room of the tension that descended after the girl finished talking, "I... I am so—"

"If you're going to apologize for attempting to seal my Flames, please don't," Tsuki interrupted, "what's done is done, you didn't succeed anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"But—"

"Seriously, Nono. Don't."

Nono sighed, "Very well."

"You know... is this a Vongola thing?"

Confusion met her question.

Tsuki smirked, "Shitty parenting."

Nono and Iemitsu's eyes widened, Nono's Guardians looked indignant, the Varia and her family looked highly amused.

"I mean, think about it, you and Iemitsu failed at being a father... hmm—nope, that's not right. _Iemitsu _failed as a father, you on the other hand," she looked at Nono, "you didn't fail and you didn't completely suck, you made a mistake, provided it was a stupid, shitty, stupid, and a huge mistake, but you lied to protect him, though. You on the other hand..." she gave Iemitsu a sweet smile, "you lied to protect your own ass, you felt shitty for bringing me—a girl—and an innocent woman in a world full of wolves just waiting in the dark, so you hid in Italy and attempted to protect us in the shadows, you lied because you didn't want us to know the truth, you lied to _hide_ the truth, not just to Kaa-san and I, but also Vongola. I'd take a father like Nono over you any day."

"Tsukiyomi-chan..."

She gave Nono an innocent look, "What? I'm just saying, let me get it out of my system, I may not care about the guy anymore, but I did wait years for him to come back just so I can break him into pieces." She chuckled in amusement at the stupefied look on their face, "Still think it's a good idea to name me Decimo?"

"I don't think I'll ever regret that..."

Tsuki smirked, "Now, I have a question for you..."

"Why I attempted to seal your Flames?"

"Aa."

Nono sighed and closed his eyes, "Even at such a young age, your Flames were powerful... by sealing it, I had hoped that there wouldn't be a need for you to get involved with the Mafia."

"Is that all?" Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Nono, we both know that's only one of the reasons why. The other reason is because if I wished to, I could have Vongola without even needing to fight for it. I'm a descendant of Vongola Primo, a _direct _descendent. I can take the title of Decimo from your sons without breaking a sweat."

Nono failed to meet her gaze.

"Hn. Thought so..." she sighed, "it's fine, Nono. I understand," her eyes softened, "they come first, family will _always_ come first," sunset-amber eyes went to her own family, "I understand. Come hell or high water, you protect your own."

The old man sighed. "You... really are something."

"I'm taking that as a compliment," Tsuki quipped. "Neh, if you really had no plans of involving me in the whole mafia business... tell me, look me in the eyes and tell me that you've never once thought of marrying me off to one of your sons."

The Varia's—along with her family and Nono's—eyes widened, Xanxus' eyebrow raised as he watched the two with interest.

Nono shook his head and smirked softly, "Caught me red-handed."

Their jaws dropped.

Tsuki rolled her eyes, "Which son?"

The smirk on the old man's face widened, "You're a smart girl, Tsukiyomi-chan."

An eyebrow twitched. She shook her head and rubbed her temples, "I don't know why you thought that'd be a good idea."

Nono chuckled, "It's not? I heard you two get along just fine."

The girl gave him a blank look, "You'd have invited a Greek tragedy to Vongola."

"Ah, since we're on this topic," Nono's eyes turned to the highly amused teen, "I heard about your engagement with Ren. Is it true?"

Tsuki grinned, "Yup."

"Are you out of your mind, woman?" Ren crossed his arms to his chest and shook his head, "You want me dead. I knew it."

Nono raised an eyebrow, "Tsukiyomi-chan?"

Tsuki mimicked him teasingly, "Nono?"

"Seriously, Tsuki. I have no intentions of dying," Ren stood and slammed both his palm on the table, "Listen up! As hot as she is, I have never once dreamt of marrying her! She may seem like an angel, she may look like a goddess, but she's the goddamn devil!"

"So mean," Tsuki pouted.

Ren looked at her in exasperation, "Mean? _I'm _being mean? You're the one who come up with this whole charade, you almost got me killed!"

"Almost," she smirked, "it worked, didn't it."

"Voooii! What the hell is going on?" Squalo demanded, looking between the two teens.

Ren nodded in her direction, "Ask her," he grumbled before sitting down.

All eyes turned to the amused Sky, red eyes staring particularly hard.

Tsuki sighed, "If words about Xanxus and I got out—and words will spread—it'll be troublesome for both of us, especially me. Regardless of who wins the Conflict, people _will _have something to say. If I win, they'll think it's because he went easy on me, if he wins, they'll think I didn't put up a fight because I'd _want_ him to win. It's not like I actually care about what others would say, it's just that I really, really don't want to deal with it, it'll be a waste of time."

"So... there's no engagement?" Nono asked, trying not to sound as excited as he was feeling.

She ignored the urge to look in his direction, "Aa. That was just a farce to get people to back off. Even if they found out that Xanxus and I were... copulating before the final match, it wouldn't matter because of the whole stunt with Ren. After all, if _that _kind of rumor spread, all our efforts would have gone to waste, I had to put out the fire before it could spread. I did promise that nothing was going to get in my way."

"How did you know?"

_Of course. _Tsuki met his gaze, "It was a hunch."

Red eyes narrowed.

"Vongola Intuition..."

She turned to Nono and nodded, "That and... I couldn't think of any other reason why Xanxus couldn't be Decimo," she almost laughed at the comical look her answer received, "what other reason could there be? Xanxus is a monster, a jerk, a conceited asshole, a pain in the ass, cruel, impatient, hell I could write an entire book series describing his bad qualities," she grinned cheekily at the fuming boss before turning her attention back to the amused Nono, "but... deny this, Nono, if there wasn't a rule stating that only those with Vongola blood can become boss, you would have chosen Xanxus as your successor."

His silence was all the answer she needed, the Varia looked smug, Xanxus had an unreadable look on his face, Nono's Guardians looked defeated, Iemitsu looked indignant.

"Fon told me that Xanxus was powerful, more powerful than even his brothers, but he was fourth in line, and Vongola's strict when it comes to succession, first come, first serve unless the successor doesn't want to. Before the whole Cradle Affair, Federico was the only competition left for the title, he could have challenged him for it rather than staging a coup... so why didn't he? He's a Sky, he has every quality of a Mafia Don, he has the charisma, and even the upper echelon of Vongola wanted him to be boss. I kept thinking about why, and no matter how much I thought about it and what angle I look, the only reason I could think of was that... you weren't legitimate... I confirmed it after I absorbed your Flames..."

Their gaze met, Xanxus raised an eyebrow when the girl smirked.

"But you know... the Rings would have rejected the rest of Nono's sons too."

Startled looks met her words.

"What do you mean?" Nono asked.

"Haven't you ever thought of doing a background check on Xanxus' family tree?"

More startled looks.

Tsuki shook her head, "Are you kidding? None of you ever wondered why Xanxus has Wrath Flame?"

"Where are you going with this?" Xanxus demanded.

"So even you didn't wonder?" she smirked, "Then let me tell you guys an unknown fact about Secondo. It's a typical one actually, Ricardo had an illegitimate child with one of the maids, his wife found out and forced the maid to leave, he never claimed the kid because at that time, having an illegitimate child—especially with someone of a lower status—was frowned upon, he was the boss of Vongola, he couldn't afford to bring shame to his Famiglia... I'm pretty sure you all know where I'm going with this."

"Are you saying that... Xanxus is a descendant of Secondo?" Nono asked warily.

"Aa. Funny how fate works, huh? You two share the same blood, just not directly. You're both descendants of Secondo. The Rings rejected Xanxus not because he doesn't have Vongola Blood, it's 'cause he wasn't the successor of the Rings. The Rings chooses its bearers, it would have rejected the three other candidates too."

"And you're so sure about that?" Coyote demanded, "What do you know about the Rings and Vongola!?"

The younger Sky gave him a blank look, "More than you."

"Voooii!" Squalo suddenly shouted, "If what you're saying is true, then that means you and Xanxus are—"

"Giotto and Ricardo are _not _cousins, they're not even related at all. Secondo was Primo's apprentice. Why the hell would I start something with him if there was a chance that we're related!? There are two branches of Vongola Blood, one of Primo and one of Secondo."

She stood and gave Nono a smile, "If all your questions are answered, we're leaving. Reborn told me that you're leaving tomorrow, take care of yourself, Jii-san, I don't want to take over just yet."

She smirked at his bristling Guardians, the only one who wasn't giving her a dark look was his Lightning Guardian, so she gave him a smile which he returned.

Nono chuckled fondly and nodded at her, "I will. You take care of yourself too, Tsukiyomi-chan."

She gave him a smile and turned to her family, "Let's go."

Her Guardians, the two Sinclair, Basil, and Dino stood, she raised an eyebrow at her tutor.

"I have to talk to Nono about something. Tell Mama I'll be home tomorrow."

Tsuki nodded and began making her way to the door.

"Wait."

She stopped but didn't turn to face him.

"I... I'm sorry, Tsuki... I'm so sorry. To you and to Basil... I never meant for any of this to happen."

Tsuki sighed, she turned her head and looked at him, "I forgive you. I've forgiven you ages ago... but it doesn't change anything."

"I have not. And I do not think I ever will. I am going to continue treating you as my boss and training under you, I plan on becoming the next CEDEF Boss in order to help my sister, but you will never be my father and I will not call you as such, Sawada-shishou."

Iemitsu clenched his fists and looked down, "Understood."

"Good."

"I have one last thing I want to know, Tsukiyomi-chan."

Tsuki blinked and turned to the old man, "Hm?"

Nono rested his elbows on the table, hands crossed with his chin resting on top, "It's about the prospect of having future grandchildren."

His Guardians stared at him dumbfounded, Iemitsu looked ready to pass out, the Varia choked, her Guardians (except the female one) looked ready to murder the old man, even Reborn looked ready to shoot him, Dino and Basil looked torn between crying and passing out, the two Sinclair were laughing out loud, Xanxus remained impassive.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Hayato roared, "Why the hell are you asking her that!?"

"Maa, maa, I'm sure he's just joking,' Takeshi said with a smile on his face, but the look in his eyes were showing the natural born hitman in him.

"Oi Ossan! That wasn't an extreme question!" the boxer said with a serious look on his face.

"Kufufu. Do you want to have nightmares for life, Vongola Nono?" Mukuro's eye was changing rapidly, showing his displeasure.

"Hn. I'll bite that Herbivore to death first, you can have him after I'm done."

"Bite! Bite!" the canary on his shoulder agreed.

"You know, Mama wants grandbabies too," Chrome pointed out, "if she finds out that you guys are getting in the way of that, she'll be upset."

Her fellow Guardians froze.

Takeshi's eyes narrowed, he turned to his Sky and said, "Dino, Sasagawa-senpai, Mukuro, Ken, Chikusa, we'll add in Ren. Pick one."

Tsuki raised an amused eyebrow, she shook her head and turned, "I'm not dealing with this level of idiocy."

Mismatched eyes watched as his Sky began opening the door, "Notice how she did not say anything _against _the old man's implication."

"Juudaime!"

Hayato attempted to follow her but found himself unable to move, "What the—!"

All her Guardians looked down and saw their feet frozen to the floor.

"Herbivore..."

"Ah, the beauty of having full control over your Flames," Tsuki gave the shocked occupants in the room a grin, "you can freeze your annoying Guardians without having to worry about the consequences."

Nono inspected the ice, "That's not..."

"Aa. It's not Zero Chiten Toppa, I'm not sealing anything, I'm just freezing them. Gotta love the mysteries of Sky Flames. Those will melt when I reach home, if you guys follow me..."

She left her threat hanging, but everyone knew what she meant. Follow her, she'll freeze your entire body.

"You... came up with that?" Coyote asked in disbelief.

Tsuki nodded, "I learned a lot of things while I was trying to learn Zero Chiten Toppa. This and absorbing other's Flames and converting them into my own, are just some of them. Well, I'm off."

"Oh! I almost forgot," she stopped in her tracks and looked at the occupants in the room over her shoulder. "The main reason why this whole thing started in the first place..." a smirk spread across her face, her eyes meeting red ones, "I did promise a certain someone that I'll give him a game he will _never _forget."

Silence descended in the room after the young boss left.

"The Mafia won't know what hit 'em," Ren stated, voicing out everyone's thoughts.

* * *

_Mio e solo mio. Hai un problema con quello, Vongola Nono? - _Mine and mine alone. Do you have a problem with that, Vongola Nono?

_Nessuna. Non ho alcun problema con quello, Vongola Decima - _None. I have no problem with that, Vongola Decima


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Two Sky

**_"Promise me you'll be good."_**

**_The little girl with dark brown hair and red eyes with specks of orange around the rim nodded her head, "Un... Mama, why do I have to go? I want to stay with you and Papa."_**

**_Sunset-amber eyes softened, she knelt down and caressed her cheek, "I'm sorry, sweetie. But it's not safe here anymore, Mama and Papa will do everything to make it safe again, and then we'll all be together, okay?"_**

**_Tears began to gather in the girl's eyes, "When is that?"_**

**_"Soon... I promise," she hugged her little girl and looked up, her eyes meeting the red ones of her child's father. "I promise."_**

* * *

**_The black haired man sighed upon entering their room. "We did what we had to do. She'll be safer with them than she is with us. So don't—"_**

**_His wife cut him off by pressing their lips together, his eyes automatically closing as he instinctively began kissing her back._**

**_"Xanxus..." she left her words hanging, knowing that her husband will understand even without her saying it._**

**_"Always, Vasílissa."_**

* * *

**_"What do you mean you're going to attend the meeting!? Have you lost your fucking mind!?"_**

**_The two sets of Guardians flinched as the dormant scars of the Varia Boss emerged._**

**_"You know that bastard wants you dead!"_**

**_"Aa."_**

**_"Then why the fuck are you meeting him!?"_**

**_Her Guardians wouldn't have tolerated this kind of attitude towards their boss, even if he is her husband, but this time was an exception, because even they were against her plan and the other boss was the only one who has the guts to go against her._**

**_Sunset-amber eyes began to glow, "Because I said so. Know your place, Xanxus."_**

**_Their Guardians sighed in defeat, knowing that the battle was lost. There's no saying no to her when she uses _****that ****_tone, even if they don't want to, they have to agree with her decision._**

**_The older man gritted his teeth, fists clenched to his side, "As you wish, Decima."_**

* * *

**_The doors burst open._**

**_The white-haired man grinned as he passed by them. "I win."_**

**_"J-J-J... Juu... daime..." the Storm Guardian stuttered, he took a step forward, legs shaking as he slowly made his way to the fallen body of his Sky. He fell on his knees beside her, a shaky hand fee_****_ling for a pulse he knew he woul_****_dn't find. "O-Oi, Ryohei... Lussuria... do something... Juudaime is... Juudaime is injured... heal her... HEAL HER!"_**

**_Ryohei gritted his teeth, "We can't... we can't... WE CAN'T FUCKING DO THAT!" His fist crashed against the wall, shattering it in an instant._**

**_"Tsu... ki... please wake up. You can't... you can't leave us. Oi. Tsuki... neh." Takeshi grabbed her hand, tears falling from his eyes when he felt how cold it was. "Tsuki..."_**

**_Chrome buried her face on the impassive Cloud Guardian's chest, body shaking with her sobs._**

**_Bel was glaring angrily at her body, "You weren't supposed to die before us, Principessa."_**

**_Lussuria—with tears falling freely from his eyes—was trying to stop his younger counterpart from destroying the room, he was just trying to stop him because he couldn't find any strength to even attempt to comfort the younger man._**

**_Levi was looking away from them all, but he couldn't hide the shaking of his body._**

**_Mukuro was glaring at nothing, an arm wrapped around the sobbing Mist wearing a frog hood._**

**_Squalo was biting his lip so tightly, blood was beginning to trickle down his chin. "We... we have to inform the Family..."_**

**_When his boss didn't reply, he turned his head to look at him, the tears he's been trying so hard to hold back began trickling down his cheeks upon seeing the broken and lost look on his Sky's face._**

**_The Varia Boss fell to knees._**

* * *

_After resigning herself with the fact that Reborn (and probably her Guardians) is going to kill her for giving her chastity to _him _of all people, Tsuki sat up and started looking around for her clothes, spotting them, she made a move to stand but a hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back down, making her land on a hard chest._

"_We're not done yet."_

_She looked up and raised an eyebrow, "What?"_

_The older Sky gave her a smoldering look, "I'm not done with you." He rolled her to her back and buried his face against her neck, giving the skin a lick._

_She leaned her head back unconsciously and buried her fingers through his hair, "Is that so?"_

_He grunted._

"_You know..." tugging his head back, she whispered against his lips, "you didn't use protection."_

_Xanxus pulled back, he looked down and cursed._

_The younger grinned, amused, "I have implant," she assured, smiling innocently when he stared at her with an unreadable look on his face._

_She leaned up and nipped at the skin on his collarbone, licking a trail up his neck, she took his bottom lip between her teeth and gave it a tug. Xanxus' brows furrowed, before he could say anything, she captured his lips. He groaned into the kiss, kissing her back with the same intensity before kissing his way down her body until he reached her stomach._

_Tsuki's breath became labored, having a pretty good idea about what exactly the older man was going to do. She met his gaze and held it, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited—eyes glowing—for the man to start. The Varia Sky grinned, without breaking eye contact, he dipped his tongue on her navel, enjoying the way her toned stomach clenched as he bit the skin below her belly button. "Nervous?" he teased._

_She pushed herself up on her elbows and raised an eyebrow, "Of course," she quipped, "it's been ages since you've done this. I'm worried you won't be able to satisfy me."_

_Xanxus' eyebrow twitched, "Brat."_

_She grinned, "Can't deny that."_

_Xanxus chuckled lowly, making her shiver. Sending her a smirk, he lowered his head and licked her clit without warning. Tsuki gasped, she scraped her nails against his scalp, moaning deep in her throat as warm tongue assaulted her. The older hooked one leg over his shoulder, spreading her other leg wider, he licked his lips at the sight laid out for him._

_He looked up and grinned when the younger met his eyes without a hint of nervousness or self-consciousness in her orbs, so unlike the rest he's been with before._ _"You look perfectly calm, for someone with no experience whatsoever."_

"_Why wouldn't I be?" she challenged, "I know _exactly _how I affect those around me..." she ran her heel up his back seductively, smirking when the hunger in his eyes intensified, "especially you, Xanxus."_

_The Varia leaned down without breaking eye contact, kissing the inside of her thighs teasingly before slowly running his tongue along her folds, tasting her, "Sweet," he purred, smirking when the younger's eyes dilated. He slid a finger inside her and curled it up, making her hips jerk in surprise._

"_Shit!" Tsuki's elbows gave up, her back hitting the grass._

_Xanxus added another finger and flicked his tongue against her clit, increasing the pace of the fingers expertly moving inside her while using his other hand to keep her hips down when she started to thrust involuntarily. He curled his fingers in just the right way, making her moan loudly as fingers scraped against her sweet spot viciously. He added his mouth into the mix, sucking at her clit before flicking his tongue against the bundle._

"_You're sucking my fingers in," his eyes flickered up, she could feel him smirking against her, "feel good?"_

_Tsuki moaned deeply in reply, fingers grabbing a handful of jet-black hair to pull his head closer, "Please, Xanxus..."_

_The older man grunted and pulled back. Tsuki's protest died when she felt his fingers slide along her bottom lip. She opened her eyes and held his gaze, parting her lips to take the appendage in. Xanxus growled and swooped down, his tongue joining the fingers inside her mouth, feeling himself becoming impossibly hard as he tasted her essence against her own tongue._

"_You're fucking good at stirring me up, Vasílissa."_

_Tsuki looked at him through her lashes, "I can feel that," she answered coyly, thrusting her hips against his._

_His laugher rang throughout the area._

"Don't you know it's rude to enter a girl's room without her permission?"

The silence that answered her was expected. Rolling her eyes, she leaned against her closed door and crossed her arms.

"Well? What do you want?"

The black-haired man stood from his perch on her bed and strode towards her.

Sunset-amber eyes narrowed as he got nearer, "Oi, Xanxus!" She flinched when the man slammed a hand on the side of her head.

"I don't appreciate being lied to."

"And I don't appreciate your retaliation."

The two glared at each other, both still clearly affected by the actions and words the other inflicted. Xanxus growled and roughly pressed their lips together, grabbing her wrists before she could attempt to push him off and locking it above her head with a hand, his other hand keeping her head in place. Tsuki whimpered at the man's assault, feeling her knees buckle from the force of the man's bruising kiss.

Xanxus pulled away and began mouthing her neck before biting down on it, hard.

"I-Itai! Xanxus, stop!"

She glared at him with venom, gritting her teeth when the man wiped her blood off his lips with a thumb.

"You fucking—"

Xanxus pulled her to her bed, throwing her roughly and getting on top of her before she could recover, he pulled off his tie and used it to tie her wrists on the bedpost.

"What the hell!?" the younger girl exclaimed, she called forth her Flames to burn the tie but paused when he spoke.

"Do it."

Tsuki froze.

"Burn it off. If you leave this bed, I'm not gonna fucking chase after you."

She bit her bottom lip, "That's..."

Xanxus raised an eyebrow, seeing that she wasn't going anywhere, he began unbuttoning his shirt, "Can't do it?"

She pursed her lips, "You're being a dick."

"Yeah, well..." he leaned down, his lips hovering over hers, "you need to be punished for lying to me."

Tsuki closed her eyes and pressed their lips together, feeling him smirk against her lips.

"Good girl," he purred.

She gasped softly when she felt his Wrath Flame burning off her clothes, leaving her completely naked under him. "You're going to pay for that."

"Hn."

Xanxus grabbed her jaw and made her open her mouth, pushing his tongue in, he explored every inch of her cavern, taking her tongue between his teeth and pulling it out, giving it a hard suck before pulling away and smirking at the panting girl under him.

"Xanxus..."

She threw her head back when the older man began kissing and sucking at the side of her neck, moaning softly with every suck. "They'll see..."

"Let them."

Xanxus licked the bruise he left earlier, licking the blood off and kissing his way down her heaving chest, he bit down on a nipple and pulled lightly with his teeth, his fingers caressing the soft skin of her thighs. He pressed her body down when she began arching at his ministrations, licking at the swell of her breast, he descended down her body, leaving a trail of hickies along the way.

Tsuki's head lolled to the side when she felt the older man's tongue against her clit, "Xanxus..." she whimpered.

The Varia Sky smirked, he thumbed her clit and inserted a finger inside her.

"Hmmm..."

Pulling his finger out, he ignored the girl's whine and spread her legs wider, using his fingers to open up her folds to lap at her entrance, groaning upon tasting the flavor he's been craving, the sweet flavor that never failed to arouse him whenever he remembers it during the time he couldn't taste it. He got off at the sound of her moaning in pleasure, increasing the pace of his tongue when she grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him closer.

"X-Xanxus... I'm..." her eyes shot open when the man stopped, "wha—"

Xanxus used his thumb to wipe her wetness off his chin, licking the thumb without breaking eye contact with the flushed and confused girl. "I told you..." he leaned down and bit her lower lip, "you're going to be punished."

Tsuki was about to protest, but he suddenly pushed two fingers inside her and started thrusting it in and out, causing her to throw her head back and moan loudly at the intrusion. Xanxus grinned when she started bucking her hips, riding his fingers as she tugged at her bound wrists.

"Xanxus!"

He pulled his fingers out before she could come, spreading her wetness up her body and licking it off. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling the unique scent that only the girl beneath him possess.

"Vasílissa..."

Tsuki bit down on the man's shoulder. "Xanxus... I..."

"Not yet."

Xanxus went on with his teasing, fingering her roughly until she was mewling in pleasure, only to pull out before she could come, lapping wildly at her folds, only to pull back when she started grinding against him.

Tsuki whimpered when the older boss stopped before she could come, _again_. She looked up and stared at the sadistically smirking man, whimpering when he sensually licked his fingers clean. "Xanxus..." she bit her lip before the beg could escape, but... release was so fucking close, she could literally snatch it with her hand, her body was trembling with the stress of wanting to come so badly. "Xanxus..."

The older man raised a brow, he leaned down and kissed her all the while rubbing his arousal against her, "Tell me what I want to hear and I'll take care of you."

Tsuki held his gaze. Burning his tie off, she caressed his cheek and wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him to her so she could bury her face against his neck, "Forgive me... forgive me, Xanxus..." she kissed his cheek, his forehead, his nose, the scar on his cheek, and his lips, "_mi dispiace di averti fatto sentire come se ti tradissi._"

Xanxus' eyes widened, "That's not—"

She caught his bottom lip between her teeth, "I know... I just wanted to say it." She unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants off, wrapping her legs around his waist, she whispered against his ear, "Make me come, Xanxus."

Xanxus gritted his teeth and slammed his dick inside her, swallowing her scream, his tongue danced sloppily with her own as he roughly pounded into her over and over, making her bed bang against her wall. Tsuki pulled away from him and moaned loudly, head thrown back in pleasure, her eyes snapped open when she felt his hand wrapping threateningly around her neck.

Glowing red eyes locked with dilated, glowing sunset-amber ones.

"Don't _ever _lie to me again," he growled out while continuing to pound his cock inside her, his hold on her neck tightening with every thrust, he leaned down until he could feel her heavy breaths fanning his face, "I am _never_ going to give you to anyone, not to your Guardians, not even to Vongola."

Tsuki's body trembled, "Xa... n... xus..."

_How ironic... _Xanxus thought as he increased his pace, watching the girl who _tricked _him and lied to his face, the girl whose powers and strength defeated him, the enigmatic goddess who declared that she was going to burn the Family he love to the ground, the powerful girl whose confidence knows no bounds, the Sky whose potential has no limit. _I should be killing her... _He grinned maniacally when the girl screamed. _And yet here I am fucking her._

"X-Xan... Xanxus... I'm..."

He scraped his nails against her neck, "Go ahead, brat."

Tsuki threw her head back with a loud moan of his name, nails digging into his back as her orgasm finally burst free, her body spasming violently at the force. She felt his body quiver as he reached his own release, moaning softly when she felt his cum filling her up. So high on the pleasure her body was still under, she couldn't even kiss back when the man swooped down and captured her lips.

Xanxus pulled away from her and smirked, "Heh." He traced the bruise around her neck, waiting lazily for the girl to come down from her high.

"You..."

He raised an eyebrow, "Hn?"

Sunset-amber eyes glared at him, "Are a fucking animal!" She watched with a slight pout on her face as the Varia Boss threw his head back and laughed.

He shook his head and grinned down at her, "That may be so..." leaning down, he kissed her cheek and whispered against it, "but that's your own fault. Only you can bring out the animal in me, Vasílissa. Only you."

"Hmmm." She felt his hand roaming her body, merely opening her eyes when she felt the familiar heat of his Wrath Flame. She looked up and met his eyes, shivering at the intensity of his gaze.

"I'm not letting you go..." Xanxus' burning hand continued its journey around her body, stopping only when he reached her neck. "Dare to escape from me..."

Tsuki winced slightly when he increased the density of his Flames.

"And I will kill you."

She smirked, "Really?" Grabbing the hand around her neck, she laced her fingers around his and called forth her own Flame, watching as the two Flames danced around each other, "This is bad... and probably fucked up."

Xanxus scoffed, "No shit."

"You tried to kill me."

"You lied to me."

"We really shouldn't be doing this."

"What did I just say?" he deadpanned.

"About that..." using her other hand, she placed a hand on his cheek and smiled softly when he leaned into her touch, "is that a promise? 'Cause if you said all those just to get back at me, I will use Zero Chiten Toppa on you, and just so you know, not even Nono nor the Vongola Rings can melt mine."

Red eyes glared at her, "Don't threaten me."

"Then don't hurt me."

His eyes widened.

Tsuki gently pushed him off her, wincing when her body ached when she sat. "I have no idea what I feel about you..." pulling her hand away from his, she leaned her head against the headboard of her bed, "and I have no idea what you feel about me. You said you won't give me to anyone, that you won't let me go... am I supposed to just believe that?"

Xanxus' scars threatened to emerge. "I'm not Iemitsu."

Her eyes softened, "I know..." she pulled his face to her and pressed their lips together, "I know. I'm just making sure... we're a Greek tragedy waiting to happen, Xanxus. This thing between us... will either make us or ruin us, there's no in-between."

"Hn. You're being overly dramatic, brat."

She pouted, "You really are a dick."

Xanxus smirked, "You want me anyway," he teased, hands caressing her inner thighs.

"That I do..." Tsuki pushed the older man on his back and straddled his waist, "I want everything, Xanxus. I'm..." she leaned down and nuzzled his neck, "as selfish as you are. I want you... so I'm not letting you go... but..."

Xanxus growled and pulled her head away from his neck so he can lock his eyes with hers, "I'll give you whatever the fuck you want and more. I'll give you _everything. _You have me, _Vasílissa mou_. You can do whatever you want to Vongola to your heart's content, you won, whatever you decide, to burn or to prosper, I'll stand by you. In exchange, don't hide anything from me, tell me everything and _give _me everything. I'll let what you did slide, you had your reason, but don't do that again, don't _ever _lie to me again for whatever reason. We both know what it feels like to be lied to."

Tsuki pressed their forehead together and smiled softly, "Hmm, I don't know... I do like keeping secrets." She laughed out loud when the older man pounced at her. Feeling the soft sheet on her back, she sighed happily and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm trusting you, Xanxus..." she pressed her lips against his and muttered, "so don't leave me."

Xanxus smirked, "Why the fuck would I? You're mine now, brat."

He let her flip their position, tucking an arm behind his head as he watched her lick her way down his growing arousal.

"I don't like being claimed."

"Too fucking bad," he lazily replied, grinning when the brat squeezed his dick threateningly, "get used to it. I don't plan on stopping."

The younger leaned up and pecked his lips, "Promise?"

He crashed his mouth against hers, coaxing her tongue to dance with his. He grabbed a handful of her hair and brought her head to his neck, "Aa."

Tsuki smiled at the invitation, she licked the skin of his neck and sucked, leaving an angry red mark on the side of his neck.

"Brat..."

She rolled her eyes, "I knew it," she gave the man a peck on the lips before going down on him, stroking his dick lazily as she glared up at the amused man, "you just said all those sweet words because you want me to suck you."

"Smart girl."

Xanxus pushed himself up with his elbows and watched the girl's head bobbed up and down his dick, breathing heavily when she increased her pace, her tongue swirling around the head before taking the whole length inside her mouth and sucking hard. He took handful of her hair and thrusted.

Tsuki relaxed her throat, fingers kneading his balls as he fucked her mouth. She gazed up and met his eyes, giving him a sexy look, she placed a hand on his thigh and stopped his movements. Grinning, she took his dick back in her mouth and sucked sharply, licking at the slit before blowing at it, inwardly smirking when the man gave an involuntary shudder. She began pumping him, tongue lapping at the bulbous head.

The older man bit his lip, teeth gritting with every flick of her tongue, "Fuck... you're so fucking good at this." His grip on her hair tightened as he released his cum, groaning when the girl continued to suck him dry.

Tsuki licked her lips, wiping the cum that trickled down her chin, she grinned smugly at the panting man. She straddled him and rubbed her wetness against his limp cock, looking at him in disbelief when he instantly became hard, "You've gotta be kidding me..."

Xanxus chuckled, "You know I'm insatiable when it comes to fucking you," he lied down and moved his hips, gliding his cock between her folds. "Move for me."

The younger rolled her hips, shivering in pleasure at the sensation of his cock rubbing against her. She swooped down and pressed their lips together, sucking on his bottom lip, she opened her mouth and rolled her tongue against his. The Varia Boss grabbed her hips and pulled her down harder against him, hissing at the feeling of having her wet folds grating against his aching cock. He grabbed the back of her head and deepened their kiss, rolling her tongue in his mouth to suckle on it.

He pulled back and stared at the panting girl atop him, her glowing sunset-amber orbs hazy with lust, drool from their lip-lock dripping down her chin, her chest heaving, body glistening with sweat. "You look ravishing," he purred.

Xanxus smirked up at his lover, causing her to flush more than she already was. He reached up and stroked her cheek, "_Dimmi che sei mio_."

Tsuki nuzzled her cheek against his palm, "_Sono tuo._"

"And I'm yours, Vasílissa."

* * *

Tsuki absentmindedly drew circles on his chest, her head lying on his shoulder while his hand was caressing her back.

"You're not going to let me sleep." It wasn't a question, she moved her body to lay on top of his, leaving kisses on his neck as his arms automatically wrapped around her body, one of his hands going straight to her ass and giving it a lazy squeeze.

"Damn right," the older man drawled, leaning his head back to give her more room to work, he groaned in approval when she sucked on a particular spot. "Tsuki..."

"Hmm?" she nuzzled her nose against his collar before looking up, raising an eyebrow at the look on his face, "What?"

"You didn't tell the old fart everything. You're still hiding something."

The younger blinked, she pulled her body up until she was straddling his waist, a grin slowly making its way to her face, "Well... that's scary..."

The Varia Boss gave her a serious look, "Vasílissa."

She pouted, "Fine," she leaned down and kissed his lips, "no more secrets. You win, Love."

* * *

Tsuki whined softly, "Let me sleep some more..."

"Hn."

Xanxus ignored her request and continued kissing her neck, nibbling at the soft skin. He hummed in approval at the scent clinging on her skin, a mixture of sex, sweat, him, and her natural scent, her whole room emitting the same thing.

"Hmmm... Xanxus..." she stroked his hair and pursed her lips, "Kiss."

The Varia Boss complied and watched her open her eyes and smile tenderly at him.

"Ohayo."

"Hn."

She pouted, giving him one more peck before turning to look at the clock, "I can't believe we only got 30 minutes of sleep," she wrinkled her nose, "I don't think I'll be able to walk properly."

He smirked smugly, "Good. What kind of lover would I be if I can't satisfy my woman's needs?"

Tsuki pulled him down for another kiss. "You need to go," she mumbled against his lips, "before Reborn gets home or before your Guardians decide to look for you."

He grunted in reply and pushed her body back on the bed when she attempted to pull away from him.

"Xanxus..." she whined, "I need to get ready for school too..."

"Hn." He gave her sloppy kiss on the lips before getting off the bed.

The younger of the two watched him walked around her room stark naked, her eyes roaming over his muscled, scarred, delectable, and incredibly hot body. _And he's all mine_, she thought smugly.

"Like what you see?"

She grinned, "Oh, definitely."

Xanxus finished dressing and walked back to her, sitting on the edge of her bed, he grabbed her by the back of her neck, pressing their lips together in a searing kiss.

"Keep your libido in check, Xanxus," the young Sky warned when they pulled away.

He gave her a blank look, leaning in to nip at her bottom lip, he wondered why there was a need for that. Why would he need to do that? She was the only one who can drive him insane with lust, the only one his body craves, and the only person who can make him drunk with her taste, he was pretty sure she was the only one who can sate him.

Tsuki seemed to have read his mind, she smiled at him and kissed his cheek, "Don't cause too much trouble in Italy, and please, try not to murder anyone."

Giggling at the bored look he gave her, she kissed him noisily on the lips before pushing him towards her window, "Go."

She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly when he kissed her forehead before jumping out her window. _Who knew he could be so sweet?_

* * *

"VOOOIIII! WHAT THE HELL!?"

Xanxus ignored him. Shrugging a dress shirt on, he turned to face the man while buttoning his shirt, "What?"

"The fuck did she do? Your whole body looked like it was clawed by wolves," Squalo exclaimed in shock, eyes widening comically at his reply.

"Fucked her to oblivion."

The silver-haired man shook his head, "I don't even want to know what state you left her body in." He gave his boss an amused look, "Never thought I'd see the day where you would let a woman have control over you, especially one who's 10 years younger than you."

The boss scoffed, "She doesn't control me. She knows better than to try."

"But you listen to her."

"Within reasons," he shrugged, "gotta make my woman happy. Even _I _know how to treat a woman."

Squalo couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You disregard women like trash when you were her age."

"And your point?" Xanxus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Heh. I guess she must be really incredible in bed..." he trailed off when the man's expression changed into a scowl, his red eyes staring murderously at him, "wait... do you actually..."

The Sky didn't say anything.

"No way..." the Varia Rain muttered incredulously.

* * *

"Ara. Tsu-chan, you seem happy. Did you sleep good?"

"Tsuki-nee, you're glowing."

"Shiny."

"Gyahahahaha. Dame-Tsuki's walking funny."

Bianchi gave her a knowing look which the younger pretended not to see.

"Un," Tsuki smiled at her mother. _I'm so glad I had my room soundproofed._

"Invite him next time, Tsu-chan. I want to meet him. You are being careful, right?"

Tsuki sighed in defeat, nothing gets past her mother, "Aa. I will, Kaa-san."

Fuuta looked between them, "Neh, who's him?"

"Xanxus," Tsuki answered without hesitation, accepting her breakfast with a smile.

Bianchi, who's always been a sucker for romance, inquired, "So it's official?"

Tsuki grinned in reply. She noticed a certain hitman still missing, "Reborn's not back yet?"

Bianchi shook her head, "I thought you said he'll be back by morning."

She rolled her eyes, "He must be waiting outside to ambush me," she grumbled.

Finishing her breakfast, she bid her family goodbye and left.

"Ciaossu."

"I knew it." Tsuki gave him a bored look, "Out with it. Get it all out of your system now."

"What are you talking about, Dame-Tsuki?" the hitman asked innocently.

"Oh, please. You knew he was there, it's why you didn't enter," she pointed out, nonchalantly continuing her walk to school.

"Hmph. As if I would. The room probably smell," the Arcobaleno quipped, smirking when his student flushed lightly.

Tsuki was about to retort when she heard a familiar voice. She turned to its direction and watched the cow-child running towards her, carrying a familiar looking package.

"Dame-Tsuki! Mama said to give you your ben—OOF!"

She sweat dropped when the cow-child tripped, causing the Ten-Year Bazooka to slip out his Afro, noticing where it was heading, she watched in fascination as the Bazooka landed on her tutor. _Well, well, this should be interesting. Meeting the 10-year-later Reborn._

The young Dona waited for the pink smoke to clear, but when it finally did, she could only narrow her eyes.

"What... the hell happened?"

* * *

**_"Wao. You look miserable, Monkey King."_**

**_Red eyes narrowed dangerously, "What do you want, fucking scum?"_**

**_The "scum" crossed his arms to his chest and leaned on the closed door of the man's office. He stared blankly at the Varia Boss sitting like a wrathful corpse on his throne, barely giving the scattered bottles of alcohol on the floor a glance._**

**_"The Omnivore's plan will start 3 days from now."_**

**_"The fuck are you talking about!?" the Varia Boss demanded, gripping the bottle in his hand tightly._**

**_The man smirked, "You know her, Xanxus. She always has a plan."_**

**_Xanxus' brows furrowed, he leaned back on his chair and gave him a curt nod, "Start talking, Cloud brat."_**

* * *

_Mi dispiace di averti fatto sentire come se ti tradissi _\- I'm sorry I made you feel like I betrayed you

_Vasílissa mou - _My Queen

_Dimmi che sei mio - _Tell me you're mine

_Sono tuo - _I'm yours


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The World, 10 Years From Now!

Takeshi and Hayato exchanged a worried glance, the latter motioning with his eyes for the former to talk to their pacing Sky.

"Um... Tsuki..." the baseball ace flinched when she turned her gaze to him, he swallowed nervously before continuing, "I'm sure the kid's fine. I mean, he's the world's greatest hitman. There's gotta be a reason why his future-self didn't appear."

"Maybe," she muttered, "but... there was someone else there other than the three of us."

"Do you recognize who it was, Juudaime?" Hayato asked.

Tsuki shook her head, "Iie. And that's what worries me. Whoever that person is, they did something. Reborn could've easily dodged the bazooka, but he was hit, then his future self didn't appear... there's something going on," she gritted her teeth, "and I have no idea what."

"Eh? Where are you going?" Takeshi asked when she started heading for the door.

"To find some answer. I'll call when I find something." She stopped by the doorway and looked at them over her shoulder, "Something big is going to happen. I'm sure of it. Don't let your guard down," she warned.

The two Guardians could only nod in response.

* * *

"Lambo, I need to borrow the Ten-Year Bazooka."

"Lambo-san doesn't know anything about a Ten-Year Bazooka," the cow-child denied.

"Lambo."

The kid froze when he heard her serious tone.

"Give me," she gave him a look, "the bazooka."

Lambo handed it to her with shaking hands before dashing out of the room in fear.

Tsuki sighed and reminded herself to apologize later. She stared at the bazooka in her hands warily before taking deep breath and pointing it at herself. _Here goes nothing_.

When she opened her eyes, the only thing that she could see was darkness.

"What the..." _It... smells like flowers._

She brought a hand up, trying to find something, anything to tell her where she was, a bad feeling settling in her stomach when she felt something familiar against her palm.

_Wood..._

Pushing against it, she sighed in relief when it moved. She sat up and stepped out of the coffin she was lying in.

"I'm dead..." she muttered, brushing her fingers against the petals of the lilies making up the bed of the coffin.

"Who's there!?"

Tsuki didn't turn to face him, she just waited for him to recognize her.

"You're..."

"Hello, Hayato."

She turned around just in time to see him fall to his knees with a pained look on his face.

"Juudaime..."

Her eyes softened, she walked towards him and ruffled his hair, "You've gotten bigger. And handsomer too."

His face burned, making Tsuki grin slightly. _Some things never change._

"Sumimasen. Sumimasen!"

"Hayato. It's not your fault," leveling him with a look when he opened his mouth to protest, she asserted, "it's not your fault."

He sighed in resignation before slowly nodding his head, Tsuki could see that he still doesn't believe her but decided to let the matter go, for now.

"Are we in Japan? Or in Italy?"

"Japan."

She nodded, "Ok... I used the Bazooka on myself because there's something that's been bothering me..."

"The Bazooka?" his brows furrowed, "I see... only five minutes..." he muttered.

Tsuki shook her head, "Iie."

His eyes widened, "Wha...?"

"It won't be just five minutes. Reborn was shot too, it's been more than an hour since it happened."

"Reborn-san..."

"He's dead too, isn't he?"

He looked down and gave a small nod.

Tsuki closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath before opening them again and locking eyes with familiar green ones. "What happened here, Hayato?"

He pulled something out of his briefcase and showed her a picture, "This person happened."

She took the picture from him and studied it, the man in the picture had red hair and deep green eyes. "He looks vaguely familiar."

"This is a picture of him from this time. You should know him from your freshman year in middle school."

"I've seen him around Namimori," Tsuki confirmed, "I think his name is... Irie... Irie Shoichi."

The Storm nodded, "Aa. When you go back to your own time, Juudaime. You have to eliminate him."

An eyebrow rose, "Why?"

"If that guy didn't exist, Byakuran wouldn't be like this."

"Byakuran?"

Hayato gritted his teeth, his fists clenched as his face contorted in sorrow, "He's... He was..."

Tsuki nodded slowly, comprehension coming over her. "He's the one who killed me."

"Juudai—"

She blinked in surprise when pink smoke suddenly surrounded her older Guardian.

"Juudaime..."

"Hayato."

"Huh? It's the normal Juudaime!" the 14-year-old version of her Storm cheered. "But I thought I went ten years into the future?"

"You did," Tsuki said, "I also came from 10 years ago."

"Whoa, is that right? I wanted to speak with adult Lambo about Reborn-san so I went to your house... but I was hit by the Bazooka when it suddenly came flying out of nowhere," he explained.

"Out of nowhere?" she repeated, her sunset-amber eyes narrowed,

He rubbed the back of his head, "I think it came flying out your window, but... I'm not really sure, I couldn't see properly because of the sun..." he trailed off when something caught his eyes, "hmm, what's this? It looks like a coffin."

Tsuki braced herself for what's coming when she said, "It is a coffin."

She waited patiently for her Storm to get out of his depressed state, when it looked like he was going to be stuck there for a while, she started rubbing his back soothingly.

"Hayato, it's ok."

He stood abruptly and shouted, "No it's not! What the hell has the future me been up to!? Why is Juudaime in a coffin!?"

Just as abruptly, he sank to his hands and knees dogeza-style and stared banging his head on the ground. "Kuso! I let Juudaime die! I'm not fit to be her right-hand man!"

Tsuki grabbed a fist-full of silver hair and pulled. "Stop."

He followed her orders on instinct when he heard her use—what the Guardians deemed as, her "Boss Tone".

"I'm not dead yet. And if my hunch is right, we're here to prevent _this _from happening."

"Eh?"

"It's been more than five minutes since I've come here. More than an hour since Reborn arrived. Your five minutes are up too," she leaned her back against the coffin and folded her arms across her chest, "and I'm willing to bet my title that someone used the Bazooka on you and sent you here on purpose, and that someone is also the reason why Reborn was shot. I probably did whoever it is a favor by shooting myself. If we go by this pattern... it'll only be a matter of time before Takeshi and the others arrive."

He stared at her with awe and admiration shining in his eyes, "You... got all that in... less than an hour of being here..."

She shrugged nonchalantly but a light blush dusted her cheeks, "I'm just speculating."

"Even so." Hayato stood and started looking around, "Where are we anyway?"

"Before that..." Tsuki eyed the plastic bag he was holding, "please tell me you have food in there."

He walked back to her side and smiled at the hopeful look in her eyes.

"Hai, Yatsuhashi."

* * *

"Voi. What's up with you?"

The scarred man ignored him and continued to stare out the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, fingers toying with the band on his left ring finger. After receiving the shocking news that the past version of the Sun Arcobaleno arrived in their time, he knew that she was coming next. And less than 30 minutes ago, he felt her.

"You're back," he muttered.

Even with the thousand-miles between them, he could feel the burn of her Flames, so fucking familiar and yet, so different.

_Your plan is falling into place, my wife._

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Juudaime, are you cold?" Hayato asked, ready to remove his jacket.

"I'm not," she reassured.

"Are you sure?"

Tsuki nodded.

He gave her a once over to make sure that she was comfortable before reaching for the briefcase his future-self left, "Let's check if we can find something here that can help us," he said while dumping all its contents on the grass.

His boss watched in slight amusement as he dug through his future-self's belongings.

"What's this?" he wondered, inspecting a small, moldy old box, he picked up an envelope and opened it, "So we're still writing on paper in ten years' time."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Drawings?"

Hayato's brows furrowed, "This is G-script!"

"Ha?"

"I created this Gokudera alphabet in class when I was in first year middle school," he explained.

_What the hell does this guy do during class? _Tsuki wondered, staring at her Guardian with fond exasperation.

"Let's see... 'Guardian's... gather...'" his eyes suddenly narrowed.

Tsuki activated her Flames and turned, "Who's there?"

"As I expected..."

The two teens readied their stance.

"Hello, fellows."

Sunset-amber eyes narrowed when her keen hearing heard the faint sound of a chain sliding off, the very same sound Mammon's chain emitted when she revealed herself as an Arcobaleno. "Hayato..." she muttered, "get ready."

"Sayonara."

Hayato moved in front of his Sky instinctively, dynamites already nestled between his fingers. "I'll be first!"

Tsuki jumped back and watched as his dynamites headed straight for the enemy, who jumped up to avoid it. He released another round, this time using his rocket bombs. Her eyes widened in shock when the enemy raised a hand, showing the rings wrapped in chains nestled on their finger, what caught her eyes most, the one that made her intuition rang, was the one ignited with Mist Flames.

"Haya—"

Her warning fell short when projectiles covered in Mist Flames shot out of their gauntlet, destroying the rocket bombs before going straight for her Guardian.

"Hayato!"

She stared impassively at the net made of Mist Flame trapping her Storm. _They're... using Flames as their main weapon..._

"What's this? It's hot!"

"As expected, the Ring still can't be used properly. What a waste."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow at that. _Ring?_ _Mammon did say something about the Rings having hidden powers... _she thought, staring at her Vongola Ring. _If I can summon my Flames using this... is it possible that I... can see Giotto again?_

Hayato's brows furrowed in confusion, "Use the Ring properly?"

"Don't hate me. Now, die."

"Juudaime! This person is dangerous! Please... run away!" He turned his head in her direction when she didn't say anything and saw her staring at her Sky Ring. "Juudaime!"

The young Sky continued to ignore him, her attention focused intently on the ring around her finger. A wide grin spreading across her face when her Flame came to life, "Omoshiroi. The future..." she looked up, straight into the enemy, "is going to be my new playground."

She couldn't see the expression on their face, but she could feel the shock and amazement rolling off of them in waves. Tsuki smirked and made her way to where her Guardian—who was sporting the same expression—was trapped.

"Zero Chiten Toppa: Fāsuto Edishon."

Hayato punched the iced-net to break free, still staring at his boss like she just told him she was ready to take-over Vongola right then and there. "A-Arigato, Juudaime... but how...?"

"We'll talk about the how later. First..." she grinned (making him shiver with how much it reminded him of a certain boss' grin), "let me get used to this new toy. You finish reading your future-self's letter. I'll try to make this quick."

He could only nod dumbly and watch his boss stride towards the unknown enemy.

"You really are full of surprises," the enemy commented.

"Why did you attack us?" she demanded, entering her HDWM.

"I've been waiting for this. You, in Hyper Dying Will Mode," they said, completely ignoring her question.

Tsuki didn't even flinch when actual bullets came shooting towards her. An orange shield made of Flames appeared in front of her, melting the bullets the moment they made connect with it.

"Not even phased by the 9-MM bullet..."

"You sound a bit impressed there," the teen noted, "so you don't know me well enough to know how strong my Flame is."

"What?"

"You know who we are." She fought off a smirk when she saw the unnoticeable tensing of the enemy. She spent enough time with the world's greatest hitman, spent the majority of it studying him so her secrets would remain hidden, even the most hidden response or expression were no match for her well-trained eyes. "Hit the jackpot, huh? But you know, I don't like fighting strangers. Why don't you tell me who you are before we get this party started."

She rolled her eyes when the enemy didn't respond, "Fine. Guess I'll find out later."

The enemy raised their hand, gauntlet pointed straight at her, "The next bullet is different from the lead shot, so even that Flame can't extinguish it."

Tsuki propelled herself and flew around trees to avoid the bullets, but one bullet managed to graze her cheek, her eyes narrowed. _That bullet just now..._

"I won't even let you catch your breath. If you die here, it means you would have only been a burden. If you want to live, then you must survive."

Gritting her teeth, Tsuki subtly changed her stance and waited for the new rounds to reach her while making it look like she was trying to dodge.

"You're only at this level even after being tutored by Reborn?" the enemy mocked when the sound of explosion resounded around the forest, thinking that she was hit, "To think that you defeated Xanxus like this... you're useless unless Reborn is with you."

"You..."

The enemy's eyes widened behind their visor.

"Are really starting to annoy me with all your yapping." The smoke cleared, revealing the teen without even a single scratch on her. "Why..." she suddenly appeared behind the enemy, "can you use the Dying Will Flame?"

Tsuki struck without giving them a chance to answer, sending them landing awkwardly on a branch.

The enemy removed their cloak, finally revealing their gender. "Oh, I see..."

Tsuki blinked. _She looks like..._

"A woman!?" Hayato exclaimed in disbelief.

"It seems as though you have potential, Sawada Tsukiyomi," she praised, "even at my full strength, I still can't beat your fighting power, but... only at the old levels."

The Sky raised an eyebrow.

"At your current level in this era..." she continued, not noticing how closely the teen was watching her, "you cannot survive."

She jumped up and sent rapid shots heading straight towards the Sky.

Hayato's eyes widened in shock when a centipede-like creature started wrapping itself around his boss. "What in the hell!?"

"Cloud, eh..." Tsuki smirked, "nice try."

She took hold of the creature and froze it, shattering the ice swiftly while staring smugly at the shocked woman. "Did I pass whatever test you're trying to pull? CEDEF's Lal Mirch."

"As expected of Juudaime..." Hayato smiled proudly, "she's so cool."

"So..." Lal took off her visor and stared at the Sky, a look of awe on her face, "this is what people meant when they said that Vongola Decima's in a league of her own."

"Of course she is!" the silver-haired teen exclaimed as he ran towards them, "Juudaime will always be a force to be reckoned with no matter what era!"

Lal couldn't even rebut his loud declaration, so she chose not to acknowledge it. "The struggle was too loud," she said instead, "it'll only be a matter of time before they find us."

Tsuki stared blankly at the chain she tossed them.

"Wrap this around the Vongola Rings," she ordered. "The Mammon chain, however... seals the power of the Rings."

"Wha—? Oi! Just hold it right there! _You _attacked us out of the blue and you want us to do whatever you say!?"

Lal turned and spoke like she didn't even hear him, "We should depart quickly."

Hayato gritted his teeth angrily, "Are you even listening to me!?"

She pointed her gauntlet at him, "Don't talk back."

"I suggest you don't point that at him."

Lal's arm jerked, her heart beating a second faster,

"And don't order us around like we're one of your trainees." Tsuki leveled her with an icy look, "The only person I trust who work under Iemitsu is my brother. Don't push your luck, Lal," she warned. "Take us to wherever you're taking us. For now, we'll listen to whatever you say, we're in unknown territory after all. But... don't _ever _try to order us around. Do you hear me?"

Lal swallowed and gave a curt nod. "You'll find the answer to whatever questions you have when we reach our destination."

"Where is our destination?" Hayato inquired.

"Your secret base of operation."

His eyes widened, "Our... our secret base!?"

She turned around and started walking away. "Let's go"

"Who managed to kill Reborn?"

She stopped but didn't turn to face her.

Hayato turned to her, his eyes filled with sadness for his Sky, "Juudaime..."

"Colonnello... Viper... Skull... all of the most powerful babies, _The Arcobaleno... _they're all dead," she looked at them over her shoulder when she said, "of course, that includes Reborn and Fon."

Hayato's eyes widened in disbelief, "No way..."

Tsuki looked down, her bangs masking her expression, "Who?"

"Byakuran."

* * *

"Anything?"

The baseball ace sighed and shook his head. "You?"

"They're not in Namimori. Chrome and I used a whole lot of Flame possessing every creature we can in every corner of town. They are not here."

"Maybe she's with Xanxus and Hayato went with her to play bodyguard?" Chrome suggested hopefully.

"Iie. I checked," Kyoya said, irritation evident in his tone, but everyone in the room knew him well enough to hear the worry hidden deep within, "she wasn't with them when they left. Hayato would have given us a heads-up."

Chrome visibly depleted at that, Takeshi wrapped an around her shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.

Ryohei frowned, "Then where are they? Both of them wouldn't just leave without telling one of us where they're going!"

"Maybe..."

All heads turned to the Rain.

"Maybe they're in the future..." he hesitated, "is what I want to believe..."

"If that was the case, they should have been back hours ago," Mukuro pointed out.

"Unless something happened," the boxer voiced with a grim expression on his face.

"The same something the Small Animal warned about."

"There's only one way to—"

"There's no way to find out," Takeshi cut off before the illusionist could finish, "the last place I tracked _both _their Flame in was Tsuki's place. I figured they both thought of looking for an answer in the future and I was going to follow them to make sure but... the Bazooka's gone."

"What do you mean it's _gone_?" Kyoya demanded.

"It's gone! It's not there. Not even Lambo knows where it is. He said the last one who used it was Tsuki, when he came back to her room, she was gone, and so was the bazooka. Hayato never got to use it, Mama said she didn't see him, which means if he's also in the future... the person who took the bazooka was the one who sent him there."

"Let me get this straight," Mukuro hissed, "the strongest Arcobaleno was _hit _by that goddamned Bazooka and was sent to the future but his future-self didn't appear. Our Sky said she sensed _someone _else was there when it happened so she went looking for answers right after warning us that _something big was going to happen_ and then, she disappeared too. Hayato most probably thought of _also _going to the future and then surprise, surprise, he disappeared. And now that we know for sure where they disappeared to, we can't even follow them because the only mode of transportation we have _fucking disappeared_."

Takeshi's fists clenched to his side, "And whoever has it is probably..."

"The person Bosu sensed."

* * *

Hayato worriedly looked at his boss from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm fine, Hayato."

He nodded hesitantly before turning and glaring daggers at the back of the shitty bitch who caused his Sky grief.

Lal ignored him and continued on, she couldn't help but be impressed with how well the two brats were able to keep up with her despite how dark it's gotten. _It seems like the rumors about them not being ordinary even at such a young age were true_. She briefly wondered how strong the little Sky was before deciding to leave those thoughts for later.

Hayato's eyebrow twitched when the woman sped up, "Oi woman! Stop a minute!" His eyes widened when he saw the reason why. "Juudaime, a river! We can drink some water!"

Tsuki sighed in relief, "You're right."

"Please go first."

She knelt down and cupped her hand under the water all the while watching the older woman from the corner of her eyes.

"What's that for?"

Lal turned and met her curious gaze, "It's an alert system, for approaching enemies."

She nodded, eyeing the balloon-like thing floating in the air.

"Oi! How long do we have to keep moving?" Hayato demanded, "We still haven't reached the base?"

"We're camping out here."

"Wha—"

"Ok."

Hayato's head snapped to his boss, "But—Juuduaime..."

She shrugged, "I have questions that needs answering now."

He sighed and nodded, "If that's what you want."

"I'm only going to prepare my own food. You better go while the sun is still out."

Hayato clicked his tongue before turning around, "Let's go, Juudaime."

Tsuki gave the other woman a nod before following him.

"Juudaime..." the Storm spoke up after a couple of minutes walking in silence.

"Hm?"

"About what she said... about Reborn-san and Fon-san..."

"Your future-self said that Reborn's dead... I didn't know that the rest of the Arcobaleno were dead too..." _Including Mammon... you must have been broken, weren't you? Xanxus._

"I wonder how far we are from the base... that damn woman! If only she would tell us something!"

"Hayato..."

He immediately straightened, "Hai, Juudaime?"

"Let's find some food. We'll split up so we can cover more ground."

"Hai."

Lal looked up and stared at the moon, letting the cool water dance around her bared lower half.

"Mind if I join you?"

She swallowed the surprised yelp that almost escaped her, judging from the amusement glinting in her eyes, she wasn't successful in trying to hide how startled she was with how the younger was able to get past her sharp senses.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow when she didn't answer, "Well?"

"I don't own the lake."

"Hmm." She took that as a go ahead and started to strip.

Lal's eyes slowly widened with each garment she stripped off, she could feel the heat coming over her face when the little Sky smirked at her.

"What?" she asked, her eyes shining with mirth, not at all bothered with the fact that she was standing stark naked out in the open. She stepped into the water and walked until the water was below her waist before sitting down and letting the cool water reach just below her chin.

Lal shook her head and tried to compose herself, the image of the future Decima's body engraved in her mind, not that the girl wasn't attractive, even Lal would admit that she's always been amazed with how gorgeous she was, but... her body... from her back to her front, it was covered in bruises, burned marks, and... love bites.

"Your body..."

"Hm?" Tsuki rubbed at her neck, removing the concealer hiding the marks there.

Lal almost choked when she saw it. "You..."

"Are you ever going to finish your sentence?" the Sky asked, running her fingers along the water. "In my time, it's barely been a whole day since Xanxus went back to Italy."

"I thought that was just a rumor..." Lal muttered, not intending for the younger to hear.

"What is?"

"You and Xanxus being involved before you officially inherited Vongola."

She grinned, "Guess my plan worked if even CEDEF didn't know that we were already fucking way before the Ring Battle reached half our Guardians."

"So... he really did that, those marks on your body?" she inquired, refusing to look away from sunset-amber orbs.

"Aa," Tsuki answered without a single hint of hesitation, "he did. Truth is, my body needed a break from all the running we've been doing. My lower half was just about ready to give up. If you hadn't said we stop and camp out, I would have demanded it."

Lal blinked at the confession. "You were running and walking just fine."

"Years of trying to hide how rough our training was, made us an expert on walking without a limp, although..." a small smirked tugged at the corner of her lips, "I wasn't able to hide it this morning. I had to take another pain killer just to numb the pain further so I can walk properly."

"He really did a number on you, huh?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way. That bastard knows exactly what he's doing and..." she grinned mischievously, "can do wonders with his fingers and tongue."

Lal almost blushed at the younger's bold words. "You're not shy at all, are you?"

"Why would I be? You're a grown woman, you might have been stuck in a child's body, but you had experience before you were turned," she scoffed, "and I doubt Colonnello kept his hands to himself."

At that, Lal's face burned so red, Tsuki briefly wondered if she was going to pass out.

"Wha—"

"Colonnello talks about his time in COMSUBIN _and _about the pretty instructor."

The older woman gritted her teeth, her face still burning bright, "That damn...!"

Tsuki grinned and let her head fall back on the water, wetting her hair. "You miss him."

Lal opened her mouth to deny it but remembered _who _exactly she was talking to.

"I don't really know what it feels like to miss someone... well, that's a lie, once upon a time I used to miss having a father, but somewhere along the way, I stopped, but that's different. All the important people in my life, they've always been by my side, my Guardians wouldn't even let me go anywhere without bringing at least one of them with me. So I didn't know..." she rubbed at her chest, tracing the teeth mark decorating the skin just above her heart, "that it would be this heavy."

"I've always wondered..." Lal hesitated for a second, but the expectant look on her face made her continue, "why him? From what I heard, you were never short of suitors, everywhere you go, men would fall at your feet and worship the ground you walk on."

She pursed her lips and stood, inwardly smirking when red-brown eyes followed her movement. "Exactly. Who the hell wants a man who'll fall to his knees so easily? Someone who would worship the ground I walk on? Maybe most girls and women in the world wants a man like that, but I don't. I want a man who would only go down on his knees when he's pleasuring me, a man who would worship _me, _not the ground I walk on." Tsuki smirked at the dumbfounded look on the older's face, "Xanxus is everything a mother warns their daughter about, the kind of man no father would want for their princess, he's extremely possessive, territorial, dominant, demanding, rough," she traced the bruise around her wrists, "honestly, he's the biggest asshole the world has even seen, he takes whatever he wants, he'll take you whether you want him or not. But... when you have him, he's yours, _just yours_. So, really? Why wouldn't I want him?"

Lal stared transfixed at the glowing eyes of the young Sky in front of her, completely flooded with the raw emotion in her sunset-amber orbs.

"_Those two, they were practically made for each other, Tsuki brings out both the best and the worst in him, she's the only person in the world who can destroy him. Xanxus knows who she really is, he sees who she is, not the goddess people believe her to be, he's the only weakness she has. They're the only Sky who has ever bonded with another Sky, a bond that runs deeper than even their bonds with their Guardians. I'm afraid that one would not survive without the other."_

"You really—"

"Juudaime! Are you here? Juuda—"

Tsuki watched in amusement as her Storm slowly comprehended what he was seeing.

Lal placed a hand on her waist and gave him a mildly annoyed look, "The brat, huh."

The poor Storm promptly passed out, falling straight into the water.

"Let's hope Xanxus never finds out that Hayato saw me naked," Tsuki muttered while making her way to her Guardian before he drowns.

"Which one?"

"Both."

30 minutes later, Tsuki bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing at the silver-haired teen who refused to meet her and Lal's eyes.

Lal gave him a blank look before taking a bit out of the fish she was forced to share with them. "All I know about you guys is from the rumors I've heard. I recognized you thanks to the photos I've seen."

"Hn?"

"We have time now, so I'll tell you what I know. As you probably already know, I belong to the Vongola's organization of CEDEF. The whole Family is currently in a state of emergency. I agreed to investigate the situation and check out the condition of the Tenth's Family."

Tsuki's eyes narrowed, "A state of emergency?"

"That's right. The Vongola headquarters... fell two days ago and was destroyed."

Hayato's eyes widened in disbelief, Tsuki stared impassively at the fire warming them.

"Currently, there are no survivors from HQ and the Ninth's unaccounted for. The CEDEF team hurried to the rescue, but we lost contact..." Lal eyed the silent Sky warily.

"I knew it! She's talking bullshit!" Hayato bellowed, "How can the great Vongola be destroyed!?"

"Maybe not ten years ago... but in this time, there is a Family who can do it," she met their gaze and held it, "the Millefiore Family. The boss' name is Byakuran."

Hayato gritted his teeth, "That guy again..."

Tsuki continued to listen silently, making Lal almost wish she would say _something_.

"The keys to dominating this era's war are the Rings... by stealing the Rings and their boxes, these guys got a boost in power. That's why they raided the Vongola."

"That's why they're targeting the Vongola Rings!?"

Lal stared at him for a second before answering, "The importance of the Rings is beyond that. They've existed since the beginning, at the first dawning of the Mafia in the dark ages. It's thought that they are the symbol of the contract between our predecessors and the powers of darkness joining forces." She gave them a serious look, "That's why the Mafia Rings must be protected. They contain a power beyond human understanding. You guys must have also witnessed the Vongola Rings burning."

"Speaking of burning..." the young Sky spoke up, "one of the strings of your balloon is burning."

Lal's eyes widened, she stood abruptly, donned her cloak, and extinguished the fire, all in one swift movement. "Enemies! These guys are strong! If they find us, it'll probably be over!"

* * *

Tsuki leaned her head back against the boulder she and her companions were using to hide from the enemy. "It's coming."

"What?" Lal turned to her, brows furrowed in confusion.

"The enemy, it's near."

"It?" Hayato wondered out loud.

"The enemy's not human."

"Wha—"

Lal shushed him before peeking cautiously at the approaching enemy. "That one's a scout. We can use the Stealth Ring to get past it."

"Gola Moska!" Hayato exclaimed quietly when he saw just what exactly they were up against.

"That's the second-generation gola-shell... Strau Moska. The military has been selling secrets of the black projects to other Families aside from Vongola," Lal explained.

Hayato ducked down, "He's turning this way!"

"Strau won't find us," she said confidently, "it's interval sensor is looking for the power of the Rings. But the Mammon Chains have sealed their power."

"It's coming!"

Lal's eyes widened behind her visor, "Impossible! You guys aren't carrying any rings other than your Vongola Rings, right?"

"No... you've seen everything I have."

"Mine too..." Tsuki's eyes suddenly narrowed, she reached for the back-pocket of her jeans and pulled something out, "unless this is also..."

"That Ring is...! Why didn't you say anything!?"

"I didn't know it was a special ring," Tsuki defended, eyes locked on the simple silver ring with a small emerald gem.

_"What's this for?"_

_"A keepsake... or something. My great-something grandfather dug it up centuries ago, it's a family heirloom."_

_"Why in the world are you giving me a family heirloom!?"_

_"Because the ring is meant for a girl. It won't fit on any of my fingers, not even my pinky. Besides, it's mine now, I can do whatever I want with it and I'm choosing to give it to you."_

Tsuki was pulled out of her musing when she heard the panic in Lal's tone.

"Even with three people, we can't beat him," she gritted her teeth, "we'll be annihilated."

Tsuki gave her side-way glance but didn't say anything.

"Huh, isn't that pretty lame? I guess your pride in the Ring's power is useless."

"Fighting isn't just about power!" she chided, "There must be affinity!"

The Moska pointed his finger guns at them.

"Shit... having said that, we're still far off from the base...!"

"Don't worry..." a small smile spread across the Sky's face, "help is coming."

The sound of metal hitting metal suddenly resonated around the forest.

_Shockwave? _Lal thought, eyes wide behind her visor.

"Attaco di Squalo. I bet I can get a point off this guy."

Tsuki grinned, "That was quite an entrance, Takeshi."

The older version of her Rain grinned back almost on instinct.

"The pitch hitter has arrived!"


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Truths and Discoveries!

"N-No way..." Hayato stared in disbelief at the tall man standing in front of them, he was wearing a black suit with a dark blue collared-shirt inside, he was older and taller, and there was a scar on his chin, but there was no doubting who he was, "you're...!"

"Takeshi," Tsuki's eyes softened, "he's Takeshi."

A pained look briefly flashed on his face before his normal calm one took its place, "Oh? Well, isn't this a bad joke, eh? I came here to pick up a CEDEF agent, only to find you guys... except, you've shrunk? Maybe... an illusion? Or demons?"

"He's still an idiot, Juudaime," Hayato deadpanned.

"Take-kun..." Tsuki shook her head, ignoring the surprised look of their two companions, "don't."

Takeshi tried to smile but it came out as a grimace, "It's been ages since you've called me that." He shook his head and schooled his expression, "Anyway, let's go. Having guys like these as our opponent is no laughing matter."

Hayato blinked at that, "It's that powerful?"

"Aa."

He followed after the older Rain and the CEDEF agent and was walking directly behind them when he noticed that his boss wasn't beside him, he quickly spun around and saw her staring intently at the Moska.

"Juudaime?"

Takeshi, having heard him, also turned and almost grinned when he saw the look on her face. "Tsuki, it's time to go."

She nodded, giving the Moska one final look before jogging after them.

* * *

"Hahaha! I see! Right around the time the Battle of the Ring ended..." he grinned teasingly at Tsuki, "that explains the marks on your neck!"

Both Tsuki and Hayato flushed, the latter more so than the former.

Remembering the marks on her body, the Storm's face turned even brighter. "I'm going to murder that bastard," he muttered.

Takeshi raised an amused eyebrow, "Hmm?"

"That _figlio di puttana_ covered her body with—" he cut himself off when he realized what he was about to spill.

A wide grin spread across the older man's face, "So... you saw her naked, eh?"

Takeshi, Lal, and Tsuki watched in fascination as the color on Hayato's face can't seem to decide whether to drain itself of its color or burn brighter than the sun.

"_He's_ not going to be happy about that," the former ace commented offhandedly.

"Understatement of the century," Lal muttered, she's heard about the legendary temper of the Varia Boss, especially when the goddess of the Mafia is involve.

The teen's eyebrow twitched, "Why do you seem so fine with them being together? I'm still trying to swallow that pill."

He shrugged, "It's been years for me since the conflict." A nostalgic—almost wistful look came over his face, "Since then... many things have happened."

Tsuki fought down the urge to comfort her older Guardian, knowing that it wasn't the time and place for it._ Takeshi_...

Hayato's brows furrowed.

"Oh yeah! You've been awesome this past ten years, Tsuki!" Takeshi praised, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "You too, Hayato," he added, looking at the frowning teen over his shoulder.

"Oi... aren't we running?" Lal asked, "It'll take us until morning if we walk."

"Oh right! I didn't tell you! The information you had about the base's location was false," Takeshi said, smiling sheepishly. "My bad. We're almost there."

Tsuki's head tilted to the side when a small mischievous grin made its way to his face.

"Keep up, and don't lose sight of me."

The older male pulled a small familiar box out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket, letting the chain slip off one of the rings on his finger, he could feel his Sky watching him closely as he inserted the ring on the small opening of the box.

Tsuki stared—transfixed at the swallow covered in Rain Flame gliding across the open field.

"What is this!?" Hayato exclaimed.

"It's defensive camouflage," Takeshi explained. "Don't look away."

Tsuki felt something wet hit her face, she looked up and narrowed her eyes, "Rain?"

A sudden downpour came down on them.

"I can't see a thing!"

Takeshi grinned at his Sky, who was the only one (other than him) who was unaffected by the heavy downpour. His grin widened when she didn't even blink when the hideout materialized.

"This way!" he called out, "We're going down."

"How many entrance?" Tsuki asked, following him down the stairs.

"Six."

"Hmm."

"This base serves as an important military point for the Vongola," he explained while placing his palm on a security scanner, "the construction was rushed... so only about 60% is complete right now."

The door opened.

The young Sky blinked at the sight that met them, "Wow."

"Haha. Exactly like you imagined it, huh?"

"Aa..."

"Oi, what is that device for?" Lal asked, staring at the purple laser-like barrier on the entrance.

"Hmm? Ah! Giannini, the mechanic, made that. From what I get, it's some sort of disruption barrier."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow. _Disruption barrier?_

"Oi! What happened!?"

She turned around and saw Lal lying on the ground. "What's going on?" she asked, kneeling down next to the woman.

"Not her too!"

"Explain."

Takeshi gave the teen a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it. Her body just went into shock from the change in environment. Since, for her kind, this artificial environment is different from outside." He picked her up and began walking, "She'll wake up in a bit."

They stopped in front of a double-door.

"We're here."

The two teens followed the older Guardian inside the room.

"You're late."

Hearing the familiar voice, Tsuki turned to its direction and saw her "tutor" sitting on a couch. "Reborn..."

"Hug me."

Tsuki ducked, dodging the baby's flying kick. "Seriously?"

"Hmph."

She raised an eyebrow when she saw what her tutor was wearing, "What's with the outfit? You finally going back to your own planet?"

"Can't help it, these suits are keeping my health from deteriorating. That outside barrier was also built for my sake."

Tsuki's face turned blank. "What does that mean?"

Reborn matched her expression, "You could say that it's a harsh world out there for me."

Her eyes narrowed, "We can't go back to the past... and now this?"

He frowned, "There's something else... somehow, the Ten-Year Bazooka sent us only 9 years and 10 months into the future."

Tsuki and Hayato's eyes widened.

"How all this happened... not even I know."

"No way..." Hayato muttered in disbelief, "not even Reborn-san knows..."

"Well, just be happy that we weren't sent to some strange place."

"Takeshi."

The older Guardian straightened instinctively.

"What's going on?"

Takeshi held her gaze, "Currently, every base of the Vongola's closest associates have been attacked simultaneously all over the world. Of course, it's going on here too. The Vongola hunt has made it this far."

Hayato's brows furrowed, "Vongola hunt...?"

"You must have seen it too... the coffin with the Vongola Mark."

Tsuki lowered her head, hiding the look on her face, she wasn't all that surprise with what happened next.

"You bastard!"

Hayato gritted his teeth, ignoring the throbbing pain on his right hand. "What have you done!? Why did _that _happen to Juudaime!?"

The older ignored the blood that dripped down his chin, eyes unable to meet the rage-filled green ones of the younger. "I'm sorry."

This only made the teen angrier, "Asshole! 'Sorry' won't cut it!"

"Enough, Hayato."

He froze.

"You were there too," Reborn pointed out.

His eyes widened. He looked down and clenched his fists, "Shit..."

Takeshi turned to his Sky, "Tsuki—"

"Don't start," she cut off, "it's not—"

"It is!"

A heavy silence descended in the room after the Rain's outburst. He fell to his knees, one hand holding his weight while the other was clutching at his hair. "I... I promised you I'll always protect you... I promised you... that I'll always save you..."

Hayato stared at him in astonishment before turning his head away from the scene, paying no attention to the tears staining the floor.

"Gomen... gomen... I failed you... Tsuki..."

The young Sky knelt beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his head close to her neck. "Take-kun... even if I say that it's not your fault, I know you won't believe me, so I won't... but please... believe me when I say that you've never failed me. Not _me_, not _her_."

If the arms wrapped around her body tightened to the point of almost hurting, she didn't say anything.

"You good?"

Takeshi chuckled softly, "Yeah... yeah I'm good." He pulled away from her and stood, holding his hand out to help her up.

"Our enemies, the Millefiore Family," Reborn started, getting the topic back on track, "certainly have a monstrous strength. However, what's even worse is their purpose is not only to get the rings and conquer."

"When headquarter was surrounded, Millefiore prepared to sit down and negotiate with a summoned spokesman for the Vongola," the look on Takeshi's face hardened, "but those guys didn't sit down to negotiate, and that poor guy was killed."

Hayato's brows furrowed angrily, Tsuki's face was impassive.

"After that, they ignored all our calls for a ceasefire. They're picking us off one by one... their goal being..." he met their gaze, "to eliminate every single one of the Vongola."

Takeshi observed his Sky warily, the look on her face still hard to read even after all the years that passed, the fact that this was the younger version of his boss didn't help matters.

"We're not without hope, though," Reborn voiced, eyes trained on his quiet student. "You know what you have to do, right? Tsuki."

Said teen sat on one of the couch, still maintaining the impassive look on her face when she asked, "Where are they?"

"Scattered. I don't know where specifically."

"The Varia?"

"In Italy," Takeshi hid a small smile, "causing havoc."

"Kaa-san, Oyaji, Fuuta, I-pin, Bianchi, Kokuyo, the Girls."

"Mama and Oyaji went into hiding, we didn't maintain contact with them, we didn't want to risk it, but we're positive that they're alive."

Tsuki's face remained impassive, but on the inside, her mind was going into overdrive. She can read her Guardians like an open book, no matter what age they were, she didn't miss the slight, barely-there shift in his tone when he answered.

"The girls..." he hesitated, "Millefiore's killing sweep is constantly expanding... I'm afraid the girls may have also been..."

Her eyes narrowed.

"When I went to meet Lal Mirch, I-pin and Lambo were looking for Kyoko and Haru, we're just waiting to hear from them. Last I heard, Ken and Chikusa were with Chrome. Fuuta and Bianchi are gathering intelligence. Our other allies, however..." his brows furrowed, "we've lost contact with both Cavallone and Sinclair two days ago. Most of the allies and friends we've made... have all been eliminated."

* * *

The morning found Takeshi, Lal, and Reborn having a discussion in—what looked like the Dining Room of the base, with Lal explaining what's been happening in Italy.

"I see... so the Vongola have received that much damage..."

"Hai."

Takeshi listened quietly.

"Isn't it your duty to report the situation here?" Reborn inquired, "Since communication with CEDEF has been cut off, what are you going to do?"

Lal didn't answer. She stood from perch on a chair and said, "Capture Byakuran... by myself."

Takeshi looked at her from the corner of his eyes, Reborn gave her a blank look.

"That's too rash," Reborn admonished, "outside, if the poisonous Non-Tri-ni-sette radiation touches us, the curse will kill us."

"Not to mention, it's incredibly stupid."

The three turned to the teens walking towards them.

"Well, I don't really care if you want to get yourself killed, I'm sure Colonnello would be so _happy _to see you in the afterlife. Let me just warn you..." Tsuki stopped right in front of her, "if whatever suicide mission you have gets in my way or end up endangering or even _risking _both my family and our chances of winning this war... I'll kill you myself," she said, smiling sweetly as she moved aside to let the woman pass. "I'll just apologize to Colonnello when I see him."

Takeshi sighed, "Tsuki... she's technically Vongola."

She rolled her eyes, "If she wants to die, let her be, that's her choice, all I'm saying is that she be smart about it and not drag all of us down with her."

Tsuki ignored both the exasperated look on her older Guardian's face and the affronted look on the older woman's. She sat on the chair Lal vacated and faced her blank-faced tutor.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Hai, the lovely dark circle under my eyes is proof of that," she deadpanned. Leaning back on the chair, she turned to her Rain, "I need everyone here before they switch with their past-selves, do you have any clue where they might be?"

Takeshi and Lal (who has yet to leave the room) stared at her, an identical look of confusion on their face.

"Tsuki?"

"Where's your Vongola Ring?" she asked instead of elaborating, resting her elbow on the table, she cradled her cheek on her palm, "Missing? Taken? Or destroyed?"

Takeshi stared at her for a second before slowly shaking his head. "You..." he chuckled, "nothing gets past you..."

She shrugged. "Start talking, Takeshi."

"Hai, hai. A while back, the Rings were smashed and thrown away."

Hayato's eyes widened, "Huh!? Thrown away!? Who the hell would do that!?"

He grinned, "Our boss."

Tsuki blinked.

"There were some among the Guardians who objected," his grin widened as if remembering a fond memory, "Xanxus threw a fit worthy of an Oscar, Squalo almost lost another arm trying to stop him from destroying the house. But Tsuki still refused to give in."

She slowly nodded, her expression unreadable, "That... seems about right..."

"I can hear the gears running in that pretty little head of yours," Takeshi teased, using her head as a cushion for his arm, "what's on your mind, Tsuki? And what did you mean by 'before they switch with their past-selves'?"

Tsuki pouted up at him and pulled her head away. "I mean just that, I think I know why we're here... the puzzle isn't complete yet and I'm still missing some pieces, but I'm starting to see the picture, I just need _that guy_'s help."

Takeshi's eyebrows went up, "By 'that guy' you mean..."

She smirked, "My strongest Guardian, Hibari Kyoya."

Reborn's eyebrow twitched, "Dame-Tsuki..."

"What's the greatest weapon of Vongola?" she asked, ignoring her tutor and giving her attention to the blue-haired woman, "Care to guess?"

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "The Vongola Rings."

"Correct. But, this era's Vongola Rings are gone." She held up her hand, showing the ring nestled on her right middle finger, "Ours isn't."

A wide smirk spread across Takeshi's face when her ring lit up with her Flames, "So you already got that, huh."

"Hmm," she gave him an expectant look.

"Like I said, I'm not sure where the others are, I was also gone for a long time. This is the only lead we have."

Tsuki took the photo from his hand, "Hibird? So he's somewhere in Namimori..." a thought flashed in her mind before she shook it off. _Not the time, Tsuki_.

"Seeing as I can't go, keep a steady head and bring him back."

She gave her tutor a look, "We still need to talk about that."

"Later," he dismissed. "Yamamoto will accompany you guys."

"And you?"

Lal shook her head, eyes unable to meet sunset-amber ones.

Tsuki shrugged, "Suit yourself."

* * *

"Is she always...?"

"Aa."

Lal stared at the door the young Sky and her Guardians left through.

"What she said was true, you'll be serving yourself in a silver platter on Millefiore's doorstep if you go through your plan. It's not something Colonnello would want, and you know it."

She gritted her teeth, "What am I supposed to do then!? Sit back and wait for them to attack first!?" she demanded.

"Iie," the hitman refuted, "you're going to leave everything in her hands."

Her eyes widened.

"Now that she knows what role she plays in this era, she'll stop at nothing to win, especially since Vongola's very existence is on the line."

* * *

"Where is this?" Tsuki asked, looking around the unfamiliar place.

"The remains of a factory, one of the six entrances is here. Anyway, let's go to Nami Chuu."

"Yakyu-baka..."

"Hmm?"

"Why are the Guardians scattered? The Family is in a state of emergency, this is supposed to be the time where we're all united... so why aren't we?"

Tsuki looked down, her hair hiding her expression.

The older man remained quiet, Hayato almost believed that he was being ignored, but then he finally answered.

"After Tsuki..." he let out a breath, "died... we became a mess. Without our Sky, we were at a loss. A month after, the Vongola hunt started, friends and allies were dying left and right, we... we didn't know what to do, how to act, what the right course of action was, your future-self was hell bent on killing Byakuran, Senpai was blaming himself for not being strong enough to heal her, Chrome was... Chrome almost broke, Kyoya dropped off the face of the earth after the funeral, this is the first time in months we managed to get _something _that can clue us in on where he is... everything was in _caos. _Believe it or not, it was Xanxus who whipped us into shape, he threatened to kill us in the most painful and gruesome way he can if we, and I quote 'don't get your fucking shit together and start acting like the Guardians she chose'."

He rubbed the back of his head almost sheepishly when the silver-haired teen stared at him in disbelief. "He shot Senpai to prove his point, he shot Hayato too when he tried to retaliate, actually... he beat Hayato black and blue, said that he doesn't deserve to continue living if he's just going to spit on Tsuki's sacrifice, after all, he is her right-hand man, the second-in-command of Vongola, his position exists for the sole purpose of leading the Family if the boss is no longer there to lead it. If he can't do that..."

"We pulled our shit together after that. Hayato took the reign, scattered us Guardians all over the world to help our allies while he stayed in HQ. Then HQ fell, we moved here."

"You're missing one Guardian..."

Takeshi visible flinched.

"Where's Mukuro?"

Hayato looked between the two nervously, his Sky's face was dangerously blank while the Rain's was hesitant.

"Take—"

Her attention snapped ahead of her just as an explosion resounded in the same direction.

"This way!"

"Hurry!"

Tsuki immediately recognized their voice and Flames. "Lambo, I-pin."

"Someone else is with them...!" Takeshi observed, trying to see pass the thick smoke.

"Kyoko-san! Haru-san! Leave this to me!"

They heard I-pin shout.

Tsuki looked up and was about to shout a warning but the enemy sent another explosion before she could.

"Up there!" Hayato exclaimed, green eyes staring in disbelief at the two men hovering in the air.

"Give the finishing blow," a tall man with blonde hair and sideburns ordered.

A teen with long, straight pink-hair grinned, "Leave it to me, Aniki."

"Millefiore's Black Spell!"

The two teens turned to the former ace.

Tsuki's brows furrowed, "Black Spell?"

"Let's go! Take your Mammon Chain off the Vongola Rings!"

The next thing that happened was a blur, one minute he was standing with them and the next he was facing off against the enemy, his katana clashing against the enemy's scythe.

"So fast..." Hayato muttered before shaking his head and following after his Sky.

"Mina! You guys alright?"

"Keep it together!"

A look of relief washed over Lambo's face. "Vongola! Gokudera-shi!"

"Didn't I tell you..." a familiar voice said, "Tsuki-san will definitely come to rescue us?"

Tsuki blinked, "Haru." _She became more feminine_.

"Hahi! Haru... seems to have gotten taller all of a sudden!"

Hayato and Tsuki sweat dropped. _Her character hasn't changed at all!_

"How disrespectful!" the pink-haired teen yelled indignantly, "How dare you ruin the shirt that matches with Tazaru-aniki's!" He raised his scythe and sent a wave of Storm Flame towards them.

"Heh..." Tsuki stared impressed at the water barrier her Rain summoned from the box-like thing.

"Haha. You guys remember this well," he said calmly, looking at the two teens over his shoulder like there wasn't an enemy in front of him, "the Rings have the power to open these boxes."

"Oh!" Hayato pulled something out of the inner pocket of his jacket, "So that's what you do with the opening on this thing."

Takeshi raised an eyebrow, "Where did you get that?"

"My future-self had this thing in his case."

"Oh yeah, he was telling me that he found an amazing one."

"I won't let you be the only one who looks good," the teen said haughtily before mimicking what the older man did to open the box, but nothing happened. "What the..."

"Hahaha. Tsuki explained it to you before, about the Dying Will Flame. You have to harmonize your Flames with the Ring," Takeshi instructed as he opened another box, summoning the sparrow covered in Rain Flame.

"He really is the Vongola Rain Guardian," the tall man—Tazaru said, completely ignoring his panicking partner as the sparrow flew around him at an alarming speed.

Tsuki stopped paying attention to them when she noticed that one person was missing. "Where's Kyoko?"

I-pin's eyes widened, "Oh... oh no! Could it have been... the blast just now..."

"Let's not jump to conclusions!" Takeshi turned to his Sky, "Tsuki."

"Aa. Take care of things here."

He nodded once, "Understood."

Tsuki turned and ran.

"I'm taking back what I said, Nosaru," Tazura said, watching the teen as she ran away from the group, "recently, I've been doing nothing but boring-ass assignments. It's been a long time since I ran into a major player... so I can't just pass this up." He raised his own scythe, "Let me give you a hand!"

"No fair, Aniki!" Nosaru hollered, "He's mine! I'll give you the rest!"

His partner smirked, "All right. I'll take care of the rest first."

Tsuki entered her Dying Will Mode and flew up, avoiding the Storm Flame projectile the tall man shot towards her. _I don't have time for this_. She crashed into one of the windows of the warehouse where Kyoko might have been blown into, landing on her feet, she looked around the building, eyes focused on finding the girl.

She saw an open room ahead of her and ran towards it, hoping that she'll see the missing girl there. And she did, the other girl's hair was longer, but there was no mistaking that she was the younger Sasagawa.

"Kyoko."

"Arigato. You're here, Tsuki-chan. Gomen... I think I've sprained my ankle..."

Tsuki let out a sigh of relief before kneeling down beside her.

Kyoko blinked upon seeing her up close, "What is this...? It's sort of nostalgic... it reminds me of when we were younger."

_Still so damn innocent, Kyoko... _Tsuki thought, ruffling the girl's hair despite the fact that she was currently older than her.

"I don't take prisoners."

She rolled her eyes and looked at the man over her shoulder.

"So I'll make this quick. After all, I can't keep my main meal, the Rain Guardian, waiting."

The young Sky stood in front of Kyoko, her sunset-amber eyes glinting in anticipation, "I thought it'd take a while before I face off against Millefiore," she smirked, "looks like it's my lucky day."

Nosaru clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Looks like she managed to dodge Aniki's Flames."

Hayato gritted his teeth, "Why isn't anything happening!?" he grumbled, still trying to open the box to no avail. "Is it broken?"

"Try imagining your Flame passing through your Ring, Hayato," Takeshi advised.

His eyebrow twitched, "See... that's the reason why Juudaime and Chrome were the ones who taught me how to summon my Flames, you... make absolutely no sense..."

The older man blinked, genuinely surprise, "Really? That's how I did it for the first time."

Lambo waved his hand in front of him, "Don't bother, Gokudera-shi, trying to talk about Flames with him will only make you lose your head."

"Lambo..." I-pin sighed.

Takeshi's lips pulled into a slight pout, "You guys are rude, no respect for your elders at all... but, well..." a grin slowly spread across his face, "since you can't do it yet, I'll be handling this. So stay back, Hayato~"

A vein popped, "You shitty bastard, acting all cool! It's only because you have a ten year head-start!" he gritted his teeth, "Fine, I'll let you have it your way, but just this once. Just you wait, I'll show you!"

The Rain grinned brightly, "You look like you're in pain, Haya-chan. Don't worry," he faced the enemy, a serious look coming over his face, "I'll make this quick. This will decide it," he said, tossing two blue boxes in the air.

Hayato's eyes widened when pink smoke suddenly surrounded the older man. "You... you've gotta be kidding me..."

"Hmm?"

The same smoke surrounded his three other companions. He turned to their direction, dread coming over him when three pairs of confused eyes stared back at him.

Tsuki didn't need to look to confirm whether or not the one standing behind her was the past version of her Sun's sister, she just knew.

_Why am I not surprised._

* * *

_Caos - _Chaos


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Training, Start!

"Tsuki-chan! Thank goodness! Everyone's been looking for you! And for Reborn-kun and Gokudera-kun too!"

Tsuki kept her gaze on the enemy.

"Huh? Where are we...?"

"Kyoko... I need you to get as far away from here as possible. I can't fight with you here."

"Eh?"

Tazaru grinned and raised his scythe. "I won't let you!"

"Go!"

Kyoko flinched and shakingly took a step-back before turning and running away.

"Don't think so!" Tazaru sent a wave of Storm Flame towards her, his eyes widening in shock when a wall of Sky Flame materialized and covered her escape.

"Don't think so," the Sky user mocked, burning eyes staring impassively at him.

His eyes narrowed, "That Flame... its color is the same attribute as _the Sky_... that's kinda rare, kid. But I'm not playing with you anymore," he smirked, "I can't leave such important prey like the Guardian of the Rain out there waiting."

"Hayato!" Takeshi exclaimed in surprise, one sweep glance around him had him narrowing his eyes. "What's going on? And who's that?" he asked, staring at the teen hovering in the air.

"Now is not the time for asking questions!" the silver-haired teen snapped, "Of all the times this had to happen... what awful timing."

Nosaru stared at the Rain Guardian, bewildered, "Hm? The swordsman looks different...?"

"Listen carefully!" Hayato barked, "Brats, Haru, you three need to get out of here fast!"

Takeshi's eyes narrowed, Lambo, I-pin, and Haru continued to stare at him in confusion.

"Hahi?"

"Don't just say 'Hahi', Baka-onna!"

"What do you mean by 'stupid'!?" Haru demanded, looking positively affronted.

"Whatever! Just run! Or else..." his attention snapped back to the pink-haired teen, just in time to see him swing his scythe.

"I won't let you escape!"

Tsuki's eyes narrowed when she heard a loud explosion.

Tazaru smirked, "Looks like things are getting pretty lively over there."

She smirked back, "Why don't we get our own party started. Come!"

The smirk on the older man's face widened, he raised his scythe and sent a wave of Storm Flame towards her. She propelled herself up, dodging the attack with ease, changing her stance swiftly when he sent another wave in her direction, the teen absorbed his Flames before flying towards him, shocking the man with her speed. Not giving him a chance to react, she sent him crashing into the ground.

Tazaru gritted his teeth, spitting out blood as he slowly got to his feet. "Damn brat."

Hayato slowly pulled himself up, "Shit..." he looked down and tightened his hold on the kid, "only managed to save I-pin..."

He heard a grunt behind him, his eyes softening at the sight that met him when he turned to look. "Yakyu-baka..." he smirked slightly, "as expected."

"Yeah! I got rid of the Rain Guardian!"

The Storm Guardian glared at the cheering teen, picking I-pin up, he moved her closer to the three passed out newcomers before facing the enemy. "_Ehi bastardo_."

The other Storm raised an eyebrow, "Italian? You're Italian? Just who the hell are you? And what's with the dynamites? You can't beat me with that!"

_He has a point... _Hayato thought. _He's not someone I can beat with bombs... if I want to beat him, I'll have to fight with a weapon from this era_. He looked at his Vongola Ring.

"_Try imagining your Flame passing through your Ring, Hayato."_

His eyebrow twitched. _That still makes no fucking sense! _He clenched his fists in annoyance_. But... that shit better work, if not, I'm taking my anger out on your younger-self! _Letting out a deep breath, he closed his eyes and followed the older Guardian's advice.

Storm Flame burst from the Ring.

Tsuki stared blankly at the older man glaring venomously at her. "What?"

"Who are you?" he demanded.

She smirked in reply, she raised her right hand and lit her Flame, shocking the enemy in front of her.

_Her Flames changed... it's not just a change of form...it's become a highly pure Sky Flame... _Sweat dripped down his temple. _I know from experience. That's very bad news._

"You know..."

His attention snapped back to the Sky.

"I never got the chance to try this out yet..." her grin made a shiver ran up his spine, "why don't you be my guinea pig?"

He gritted his teeth. "Meh! You've gotta be kidding! Women and Flames go a long way if you use them right! An irritating fly like you?" he opened another box, "All I need is bug spray!"

Tsuki's eyebrow twitched, and not because of the fly comment._ Men_. She watched with a bored look on her face as a saucer-like object covered in Storm Flame headed towards her.

"Gah! Have you lost hope!?" Tazaru mocked when the teen didn't even bother to move, "There is no escape anyway! The Dark Slicer will only go after you!"

She shrugged, "Running's a waste of energy."

His eyes widened when she held her arms in front of her, the sound of something freezing echoing around the abandoned factory.

"Im... Impossible! She actually froze the Dark Slicer!?"

"Strange..." she muttered, "my body feels very light."

Hayato stared at the Flame dancing on his Ring, a dumbfounded look on his face, "That bastard's advice... actually worked...?"

Nosaru blinked, "Hnn...? That Flame... it's the same as mine. It's a Storm."

"I should be able to open this box thing..." He stared hesitantly at the small box he was holding. _What does it contain...? I bet it's a really powerful weapon... this is like opening Pandora's box. Still, I have no choice but to do it. _"Will a demon appear! Or maybe a serpent!" He opened the box and waited.

The hole in the box glowed with the color of his Flames before it opened.

Both Storm's eyes widened when a metal cannon-like skull appeared wrapped around his left arm.

"Heavy!" the Storm Guardian grunted, "What is this!? A skull!?" He was silent for a second before a light blush spread over his cheeks, "So... so cool!"

"He was holding a box all along!?" the other Storm exclaimed, "I'll be in trouble if something weird comes out!" He charged towards him.

"Here he comes! How the hell do I use this!? Like this?"

_Imboccare Proiettili_

"Eh? Nani? Feed Bullets!? Bullets!?" Hayato exclaimed, disbelief coating his words, "I don't use guns! I don't have any bullets on me!"

"Die!"

"Can't I use this!?" Using one of his Dynamites as ammunition, he pointed his arm in the direction of the charging teen. "Oi!"

A burst of Storm Flame shot out of the skull, startling both teens.

"It shot something..."

Nosaru slowly opened his eyes. "Huh? What the heck was that...? It didn't hurt. It didn't even tickle."

"No effect!?"

The Millefiore agent snickered, "You almost had me going there..." his eyes widened when he suddenly started falling, "the Flame!"

Hayato watched him hit the ground, looking a bit lost.

"How dare you! You extinguished my Flames!" he roared, raising his scythe, "Don't mess with me!"

"Ha!? Come on! Are you only good for one charge!?" the Vongola Storm demanded, glaring at the weapon on his arm.

"Time to die!"

"Oi! You're all show!" he continued to argue with the weapon, completely ignoring the charging enemy, "Say something!"

_Bomba Diffusione_

"Diffused Bomb!?" Hayato's brows furrowed, "I get it... I didn't focus the energy just now... in that case..."

Nosaru raised his scythe.

The Vongola Storm loaded another Dynamite. "If I clench the mouth tightly..." he muttered to himself as he aimed the weapon in the direction of the other teen. "Eat this!"

Tazaru stared at his feet in astonishment. "Impossible! The... the Flames have been frozen!"

Tsuki simply stared at him.

"This... this just like the renowned 10th boss of the Vongola...!" he gritted his teeth and raised his scythe, "Who the hell are you!?"

She caught his scythe without blinking and proceeded to freeze the entire thing. "I don't know if this is possible, but... tell your boss, I said hi." She clenched her fist and sent him flying.

"Gokudera-kun!"

Hayato's head turned to the familiar voice's direction. "Kyoko!"

She stopped in front of him and tried to catch her breath. "Thank goodness. I finally found you. Tsuki-chan, Tsuki-chan is—"

The silver-haired teen raised an eyebrow, "Juudaime is?"

"Tsuki-chan's in trouble! You have to help her!"

He blinked, "Did she tell you to tell me that?"

Kyoko stared at him in shock, "I-Iie... but—!"

"Then she's not in trouble." He turned and made his way to where his fellow Guardian was slowly raising himself off the ground. "Yakyu-baka, you still alive?"

"I... I think so..." Takeshi rubbed the back of his head, "Where are we?"

"We'll explain everything later."

"Tsuki-chan!"

He turned to her and breathed out a sigh of relief. "You need to stop trying to turn our hair white prematurely. Be glad you were with Hayato, otherwise I'll have more to say."

His Sky just grinned in reply.

* * *

"So, you guys did arrive, just like what Tsuki said."

Takeshi's eyes narrowed at the grim look on the hitman's face.

"You must be confuse and shock about everything. I don't want to add another blow, but... I have to tell you guys what's going to happen now."

Hayato glanced at his boss from the corner of his eyes, he shared a quick look with the other Guardian before turning his attention to the hitman.

Tsuki ignored everything around her, keeping her expression carefully blank despite the storm going through her mind. Haru's cry brought her back to reality.

"I hate this..." she sniffed, "this world of the future is... so full of destruction..."

The Sky looked down.

"Haru-chan..."

"Gomen..."

Wary brown eyes met similar green ones.

"Tsuki-san!" Haru threw herself at the quiet teen, "I want to return to the peaceful Namimori. I want to go back!"

Said teen stared blankly at the crying girl.

"Kyoko, Haru, can you please wait outside. I wish to speak to Tsuki, Gokudera, and Yamamoto."

Kyoko nodded. "Let's go, Haru-chan."

"Hai."

"They're going to start asking questions," Tsuki stated when they were out of earshot, "maybe not now or tomorrow, but they will."

Takeshi looked at her worriedly, "Tsuki..."

"I know why _you're _here, I can even understand why Lambo's here..." she looked down, her bangs hiding her expression, "I don't even want to _think_ about_ why_ Kyoko, Haru, and I-pin are here."

"Juudaime..."

"We need to find the rest of the Guardians..."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Reborn cut off.

She raised an eyebrow.

"How are we supposed to go home."

"I might have the answer to that!" Hayato exclaimed, "The hint was written in here all along," he said, showing them the letter containing his G-script.

She gave him a nod to go on.

"Gather the Guardians... with the Vongola Rings, defeat Byakuran. Erase the guy with glasses in the photograph. Everything will return to as it was."

Sunset-amber eyes narrowed, "This era's Vongola Rings are gone..."

"Aa. The letter wasn't addressed to my future-self. It was addressed to those who hold the Rings in this era."

"In other words, it was addressed to all of you who came over from the past," Reborn said, "if we follow the message in the letter, we'll be able to return to the past."

"Who wrote that?"

Hayato's eyes widened, Reborn and Takeshi narrowed their eyes.

"Gokudera Hayato created the G-script, so he should be the only one who knows it. That letter was with your future-self, but it wasn't written _for_ him, it was written for us, which means whoever wrote it, they know we were coming. It wasn't Hayato, he looked ready to pass out when he saw me, it wasn't Takeshi either. Onii-san won't be able to get G-script, especially since it was Hayato who made it. Mukuro would sooner turn into a monk than learn a self-created language. Chrome won't even bother. And don't even get me started on Kyoya."

"That's..." the Storm Guardian's brows furrowed, an uncertain look written on his face.

"I'm not worried about how we're going back to our own time, that's something I don't even need to think about because whatever the answer is, we'll find out soon enough. Right now, what we need to focus on is gathering everyone here." Tsuki pushed herself off the wall she was leaning on and made her way to the center of the room, facing them. "Byakuran. Irie Shoichi. We can deal with them later, it's not like we have a choice, we'll have to face them eventually. And one more thing," she looked at her Guardians, "we need to start training, we can't fight properly if we don't know the fighting style of this era."

"Oh?" Reborn raised an eyebrow, "How exactly are you going to do that? Who's going to train you?"

She grinned.

"Oi! Lambo-chan! Wait a—"

The four watched the girl wailing a while ago slide into the room.

"Gomenasai! Lambo-chan was up to mischief. I had to chase after him!"

"Haru-chan! Are you alright?" Kyoka asked, entering the room with I-pin clinging to her arm.

"Curry?" Tsuki asked, nodding at the potatoes scattered on the floor and the onions the younger Sasagawa was currently carrying.

The two girls nodded.

"Since they can't fight, I've asked them to take care of our meals and look after the two kids," Reborn informed.

"Aa."

"We're making curry for tonight," Kyoko said while helping Haru pick the potatoes up.

"Please look forward to it."

Takeshi grinned, "Yay!"

"Che. You girls sure cheered up so quickly," Hayato grumbled.

"But of course!" Haru smiled brightly, "Especially at a time like this. We can't just mope around all day long!"

"We won't lose to all of you," Kyoko added, smiling just as brightly, "We've decided that we'd try our best too!"

"Let's go to the kitchen."

"Hai."

Hayato sweat dropped, "They regained their spirits really fast."

"Women are really something..." Takeshi commented.

Tsuki smirked up at him, "You're just figuring that out now?"

* * *

"I refuse. Go ask Yamamoto to do it."

Hayato'e eyes shifted to the side, "Well, about that..."

"As you can see here, Yamamoto has returned to an ordinary baseball nut," Reborn said from his perch on the tall teen's shoulder.

Takeshi grinned, "Yo."

Lal stared at him blankly before turning around and walking away. "In any case, I don't have time to play with you kids. I'm off."

"Off to get yourself killed?"

Lal stopped.

"You really think the best way to avenge your lover is to follow him in the afterlife?" Tsuki ignored the warning look her tutor was giving her, "Rather than training the only hope you have in actually defeating the guy who killed him?"

The older woman's eyes narrowed at that, she turned and faced the blank-faced teen. "You really think _you _can beat Byakuran?"

She shrugged, "Who knows. I haven't met the guy, so I don't know. But... if there's one thing I'm a hundred percent certain of, it's that I _can't_ lose," her eyes hardened, "I can't afford to lose. Not in this war."

"Now, if you want to go out there and waste your life, the door's open."

"But Tsuki, I thought she was the only who can train us?" Takeshi asked, a bit confused.

"The only one here in Japan," she clarified, "I'm positive Squalo would be more than willing to fly here and train us if we ask him to," a thoughtful look came over her face, "maybe even the rest of them."

Her Guardian's stared at her, wearing a matching expression.

She grinned at their comical look. "Your future-self used one of his attacks, which can only mean that you two train together."

"Gyahahahaaha!"

Tsuki looked down and blinked.

"Look, Tsuki! Look! Lots of fire power!"

"I... can see that," she bent down to his level and eyed the machine gun the cow-child was holding, "where'd you get it?"

"In a room way, way, waaaaay over there. It's like a maze, so fun!" the child squealed.

"Uh-huh..."

"Play with me, Tsuki!"

Before she could reply, a loud shriek came from the direction of the kitchen.

"What is it now?" Takeshi wondered.

"Let's find out," the young Sky answered, looking perfectly calm. "Come on."

Lal watched them go.

"What happened?" Tsuki asked when they reached the kitchen.

"There's something under the sink!"

"Aa... that is something..."

Hayato leaned down to examine the black something blocking the sink. "What the heck...?"

The black something suddenly started to wiggle before it popped out, landing straight on the unsuspecting teen.

"Whew~ finally got out."

Tsuki stared at the familiar man with a deadpanned look.

"I'm the Vongola Family supplier, as well as the weapon tuner and inventor. My name is Giannini."

Tsuki continued to stare.

"How long are you going to sit on me!?" Hayato snapped.

"Ah, so sorry about that."

Giannini stood straight as he faced the three teens staring at him, two of them with a wary look on their face while the other one was just staring.

"It's been a long time. I've become quiet accomplished since the last time we saw each other," he boasted, "now, I'm one of the best mecha-artists you know. About two weeks ago, my father recommended me to come to Japan and overhaul all the systems in this hideout."

"You mean... you've been here this whole time..?" the silver-haired teen asked in disbelief.

"Aa," the hitman confirmed, "the barrier outside and my clothes too. Both were made by Giannini."

"That explains the unknown presence I've been sensing since I got here," Tsuki muttered.

Lal watched the scene in front of her from the entrance of the kitchen, eyes focused intently on the young girl handling the situation going on around her with calm ease.

"Do you really think that these greenhorns can survive here?"

"Who knows."

"Their prospects may not be zero, and I'll admit, Sawada Tsukiyomi does have a lot of potential, but I'm not so sure the same could be said for her Guardians. I'm not so bored as to waste my time training a bunch of kids."

"Even if Gokudera managed to ignite his Flames on the Vongola Ring during the fight with Millefiore?"

Lal's eyes widened.

"And Tsuki managed to utilize hers efficiently during her fight?"

"What are you saying?" she demanded, "That's not something that you can pick up in a day."

"What are _you _saying?" the hitman countered, "Didn't Tsuki ignite her Flames minutes after you met her?"

"That's..."

"It shouldn't come as surprise that she was able to get the hang of it so fast. And apparently, Gokudera even managed to open the box."

"Stop talking nonsense! I can believe what you said about Sawada, but for Gokudera... there's no way he could have done it!"

"Long ago, that's what you said about that guy just because he was younger than you," he reminded, "there's no way he could do it. His prospects were zero, then you left him. But you must have seen it. Lal Mirch. When the time comes to protect those who are truly important to you, you will have a power that fears nothing, not even a curse. You can't afford to lose that. You have to get it back."

"Gomen," Kyoko apologized, staring despondently at the burnt curry, "it's all because I wasn't paying attention..."

"Don't worry about it, Kyoko."

"That's right! I do it all the time too," Haru comforted.

The sound of a fist hitting the wall resounded around the kitchen, making all its occupants turn to its direction.

"Listen up!" Lal barked.

Tsuki didn't bother hiding the small smirk on her face.

"Who's that...?" Kyoko wondered out loud.

"No idea..."

"I'll beat the basic combat knowledge and skills into you," the blue-haired woman declared.

Hayato and Takeshi looked at her, surprised.

"The squads that the Millefiore sent to Japan are among their top class squads. The opponents you fought were from the Black Spell. If their squad was there, you'd have been dead in an instant."

"Takeshi mentioned that," the Sky commented.

"The Millefiore Family was born when two Families joined together," Lal started, "the new kid on the block, the Gesso Family, led by Byakuran. And, a Family with as much history as the Vongola, the Giglio Nero Family, led by Uni."

Tsuki fought to keep her expression neutral when she heard that. _Gigilio Nero..._

"Those who came from the Gesso Family are now the White Spell, they wear a white uniform. Those who came from the Gigilio Nero Family are now the Black Spell, they wear a black uniform."

"I see..." Tsuki mused.

"By the way, it's said that the White Spell specialize in precision and cunning battle tactics. Whereas the Black Spell have more fighters and tend to engage in direct combat."

"Vooooiii! What kind of wind has gotten into you?" Hayato demanded, "Suddenly you're telling too much!"

His boss raised an amused eyebrow.

"Oi. Why are you doing a Squalo impression?" Takeshi asked, staring at him like he sprouted another head.

Lal sighed, "Don't worry, if you fall behind just once, I will gladly leave you behind."

"Hmm." Tsuki gave her a nod.

"Let's begin the first lesson. I don't care who does it," she held up a small box with a camouflage print, "one of you three, open this box which has never been opened before."

"Open the box?" Takeshi repeated, "How is that training?"

"Find out for yourself," Lal answered. "Are you going to do it or not?"

Tsuki nodded before turning to Giannini, "The training room's in the basement, right?"

Giannini looked startled. "H-Hai. Allow me to lead the way."

Two girls were left watching them as they made their way out of the room.

Kyoko sighed, "We didn't get to introduce ourselves..."

"I wonder who that bitter, pretty lady is...?"

* * *

"I've been meaning to ask..." Lal voiced when they entered the elevator that would lead them down to the basement.

Tsuki looked at her over her shoulder, "Hm?"

"Why do you know so much about this hideout?"

"Oh, that. When I was a kid, I used to marvel at how grand the Hibari estate was, you could find almost everything there. I wanted to have something similar except mine'll be a hideout, a base of operation for when I inherit Vongola."

"Haha. I remember that," Takeshi grinned, "Mukuro kept bugging you to add a spa in your floor plan, and Senpai said he wanted a boxing ring in his room."

"Iie," she deadpanned, "he wanted a boxing ring to be his bed."

"Hahaha. Looks like you made that hideout a reality," he ruffled her hair, "just like you wanted."

"When we built this hideout, we had to avoid the underground public area, so the place is in a very irregular shape," Giannini divulged, "Decima was a bit peeved when she found out that her original plan had to be redrawn. All the rooms are exactly where they should be though, Xanxus-sama promised to castrate us if we change it."

A small smile made its way to Tsuki's face.

Hayato's eyebrow twitched, "Again with that guy... I've been hearing his name left and right, even that Yakyu-baka mentioned him. What's up with that?"

Giannini blinked in surprise, "That's because—"

The door opened, interrupting the mechanic.

"Ah, we've arrived. This is it."

Takeshi whistled in appreciation, Hayato looked around the vast room, green eyes shining.

"If that's all, I will return to my repair work."

"Thanks," the baseball ace called out before the man left.

"By the way. Where's the Lightning Guardian?" Lal inquired, "I heard you've already found him..."

"He's been here all along," Reborn answered, "he's the lump of hair there that is hardly worth noticing."

Lal looked down.

"It's huge!" the lump of hair exclaimed excitedly.

Lal stared. _Now I remember, they called him Lambo..._

"Yahooooooo! Dwaho! Gyahahahaha! There's an echo!"

The older woman turned. "I didn't see anything."

Tsuki chuckled while her Guardians sweat dropped.

_She erased his existence._

"I won't tolerate any half-heartedness," Lal warned. "Are you really prepared for this?"

"Hn."

Takeshi smirked, "You bet!"

"That's a given!" Hayato snapped, "I'll show you!"

Lal stared at them for a minute. "All right. I don't want to hear anyone say they can't do it. The first person to start complaining will be corrected without mercy. This era is very different from the one you lived in 10 years ago. If you can't ignite the Flames on the Rings and open these boxes, you won't be able to fight. You should have seen that for yourselves by now."

"That's exactly why they need to learn the process of opening the boxes," Reborn cut in, "that's the fastest way to learn the fighting method of this era."

"That's how it is," the woman agreed. "You may have opened a box due to beginner's luck, but it's meaningless if you don't have an attack plan."

_She meant me... _Hayato thought, an eyebrow twitching.

"First, you must understand the Rings. There are two things you can do with a Ring. One is to use the power in the Ring directly. The other is to open a box. With the former," she raised her arm, showing them her gauntlet, "use the Flames emitted from the Ring... and fire it like this."

"Whoa!" Takeshi stared at the damage, his amazement showing on his face.

"You're gonna destroy the place!"

"Next, the boxes," Lal continued, "think of the box as a tool that can transform the Flames of the Rings into other functions and motions. If you think of the Flames as electricity, then the boxes are like electrical appliances."

Tsuki listened intently, storing away everything that was being explained in her mind.

"Is there anything you don't understand so far?"

She waited for the inevitable.

"Ano..." the tall teen rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, "I didn't get anything at all, actually..."

Lal strode towards the teen, stopping only when she was directly in front of him.

The Storm and Sky user smirked while Reborn looked down to hide his own smirk. Lal stared at the Rain Guardian with wide eyes, fist trembling against his palm.

"..." Takashi stared back, genuinely confuse as he slowly lowered her fist. "Ano... can you please repeat everything?"

"No need," Tsuki cut in, "just understand this, the Rings are used as both a weapon and a key, a key to open boxes containing even more weapons. Remember that and you'll be fine."

Lal felt an eyebrow twitched when comprehension came over his face.

"Ah! I get it now!"

The older woman continued on like nothing happened, "Let's start for real. I heard that Gokudera managed to ignite his Flames. Is it true?"

Tsuki turned to him, "You did?"

He smiled brightly, "Hai!"

"Let's see it."

Hayato closed his eyed, fist clenched in concentration. "Imagine your Flames passing through your Ring. Flames passing through... Flames passing through..."

His boss stared at him, "What the hell are you saying?"

"What the—" he exclaimed when nothing happened. "That's what I did last time!"

Lal sighed, "Just as I thought. You were able to produce the Flames by luck because of the emergency. If you rely on that kind of lousy fire-fighting measures in a real battle, you'll—"

Storm Flame ignited from the Ring, cutting her off and making her eyes grow wide.

"All right!" the Storm Guardian cheered.

"Impressive," Tsuki praised, making her Guardian blush.

Takeshi pulled his own Ring off its chain and slid it on his finger, "So... Flames passing through the Ring, eh? You mean like this?" His brows furrowed as he stared intently at his Ring.

Lal could only watch in disbelief as—like the previous Guardian—Flames ignited from his Ring effortlessly.

"Hahahaha. I did it."

_Impossible... most people would need at least 30 hours or so to get to this stage... is this the power of the Vongola Rings...? _Lal's eyes narrowed. _Iie... this is all on them... so, this really is the famed Family of the tenth boss... if these guys have the power that the Family of this era did not... if they could master the Vongola Rings..._

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the Sun Arcobaleno's voice.

"It's been a long time since your trainer's blood has tingled with excitement, hasn't it?" there was a hint of teasing in the hitman's tone, "Your lust is showing, you know."

"Nani!?"

Tsuki cut off her retort.

"Are you guys done quarreling?"

"Ha?" Lal turned to her, "Sawada—"

"Quit calling me that."

Lal felt her body freezing at the familiar tone in her voice.

"Don't call me Sawada. The only one who could get away with calling me that is Onii-san, and only because he kept forgetting to call us by our first name even after all the years that passed." She walked over to them and held out her hand in front of the older woman, "The box."

Lal wordlessly gave her the box, and just as wordlessly, watched her toss the box in the Storm Guardian's direction, who caught it with a confused look on his face.

"Juudaime...?"

"I want to see something," she replied to his unasked question, "try to open it."

He did just that, but unlike his first attempt, nothing happened. A haughty look spread across his feature, "An inferior product. I know from experience."

"Let me try it too." Takeshi plucked the box from his hand without waiting for a reply, mimicking what the other Guardian did, he waited for something to happen. "Nothing happened."

"Oi! Is this thing broken!?" Hayato demanded.

"Iie," the blue-haired woman denied, "it's not."

"It has something to do with the Flame type, right?" Tsuki motioned for her Rain to toss her the box. "Both the box and the Ring, they have to have the same attribute as the Dying Will Flame of the user in order for them to work." She inspected the box, "You can't open a Storm-attributed box if you have Rain Flames, you can't use a Rain-attributed Ring if you have Sky Flames... it's easy to guess when you've seen three people who has different Flames open a box," she added when she saw the look on Lal's face.

"So..." Takeshi folded his arms across his chest, "the Dying Will Flame of the user, as well as the box and Ring should harmonize because otherwise, it won't work. Did I get it right?" he asked, looking at his boss hopefully.

She nodded.

Lal's head snapped to the amused hitman's direction, "What am I here for!?"

"Hmph. She doesn't know _everything_, all she's doing is storing everything she sees and hear in that brain of hers and making speculations with logic only she could come up with."

"This box doesn't have a Storm or Rain attribute, I'm guessing it's not Mist either?"

Lal let out a breath before nodding. "That's right. It's your turn next, Sa—Tsukiyomi."

She pursed her lips, "What if it isn't a Sky attribute?"

"Among the seven types, the Sky is the only one who can open all boxes."

"You don't have to look so happy," Tsuki pouted after seeing the triumph that flashed in her eyes.

"That's the advantage of the Sky," Lal went on, "only very few people have the Sky Flame."

"Few?" Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "I've met five Sky Flame users, Dino-nii, Xanxus, Raven, Ren, and Iemitsu."

She shrugged, "Outside the inner circle of Vongola, meeting a Sky is rare."

"Hmm..." the young Sky turned her attention on the box she was holding, igniting her Flame, she opened her first box weapon.

The whole box lit up, cracks beginning to spread all over it.

_It's crumbling! It's a storage box... _Lal concluded.

When the box finally broke, Tsuki could only stare in disbelief at what it revealed. "This is..."

Reborn's eyes narrowed when he caught the quick look that flashed in her eyes.

Lal stared at the pacifier with wide eyes, she stalked towards the girl and swiped the object from her hand.

The younger didn't say anything, only watching impassively as Lal turned her back to them and began walking towards the exit.

"That's all for today. Go have dinner."

"Oi!" Hayato protested, but the woman ignored him.

"I'm hungry," the only girl left in the room declared, "let's go."

Her two Guardians looked at each other and shrugged before following after their Sky.

Reborn watched them for a minute before following.

_Dame-Tsuki... what does that look mean?_

* * *

_Ehi bastardo - _Hey bastard


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Strongest Guardian!

Tsuki opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she instantly picked up the soft snore of her Storm from the bed under hers. Quietly jumping off the top bunk, she opened the door and left her sleeping Guardian.

"Ah! Ohayo, Bosu," Giannini greeted when he saw her enter the room.

"Ciaossu."

She gave them a blank stare.

Reborn, knowing the reason why she was so, so talkative, nodded towards the table on the corner of the room.

"The first piece of good news arrived this morning," Reborn spoke up when he saw her mood shift.

"Kyoya's near, isn't he?"

Her tutor stared at her.

"I can always feel their Flames when they're near," she explained.

"I was going to say that Millefiore's Black Spell are swarming all over outside and that if we step out, a battle will be unavoidable."

"Aa... that _does _sound like a good news," she drawled, plopping down on one of the chairs. "Well, in any case, Kyoya's here, we just need to find out where exactly. Knowing him, he'll probably—"

A loud blaring noise resounded around the base, an "S7S" flashing on the big screen mouthed on the wall.

A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, "And there it is, right on time."

"We've received a distress signal!" Giannini exclaimed, not hearing what she said, "It's an SOS from an ally!"

Tsuki watched him typing frantically on one of the computers on the table with an almost eager look on her face.

"I've pinpoint the source of the signal! I'll flash it on the screen."

She grinned at the sight of the familiar bird flying around nonchalantly, the buildings of Namimori evident on the background.

"Bingo~"

"Looks there's a signal emitter attached to it," Reborn observed, ignoring the smug look on his student's face.

"This is not good!" the mechanic cried, "The signal is getting weaker! It's left the view of our fixed cameras. I'm switching the monitor to the radar view."

Tsuki heard the sound of frantic footsteps heading towards the room, she turned to the door and watched both her Guardians enter the room with Lal.

"What was that buzzer!?"

"What happened!?"

"Kyoya happened," she answered, turning her attention back on the screen.

Takeshi blinked, "He's here?"

"Iie. He's somewhere in Namimori, we received an SOS from Hibird."

Silver eyebrows rose, "An SOS? From that bastard?"

His boss just shrugged.

"Where is it?" Lal asked.

"Right now, it's in the 7th district, present speed 37 km/h. Its altitude is decreasing... 25... 20..."

The blinking arrow indicating where the canary was blinked out.

"It's gone!"

"Where did we lose the signal?" Tsuki asked, tapping a finger against the table.

"Please wait. I'm looking for it now." Giannini's fingers moved quickly against the keys, "I've got it! It's Namimori Shrine!"

Takeshi's brows furrowed, "The shrine? What's Kyoya doing there?"

"Che. Maybe he's praying," Hayato answered, heavy with sarcasm.

"The signal was getting weaker... it's possible that the emitter's battery just ran out of power..." Giannini speculated.

"Or it could have fallen into the hands of the enemy," Reborn added.

Tsuki scoffed, "Unlikely. Kyoya's protectiveness when it comes to Hibird is almost as intense as his protectiveness when it comes to me and Chrome."

"It could be a trap set by the enemy," Lal pointed out.

"What did I just say?" Tsuki hopped off the chair she was sitting on and faced her Guardians, "Let's go. We have two birds to catch."

"Omachikudasai!"

She turned to the mechanic, an eyebrow raised.

"Please take a look at this. I've just confirmed the Rings currently present at that location."

"In other words..." she smirked slightly, "that's the current number of enemies we have on the surface."

"Don't look so happy, Dame-Tsuki," Reborn chided, "you and your Guardians have yet to master your Rings. If you guys face them head-on, you might not make it out alive."

"Who said we'll face them head-on?" she asked, an innocent look that no one was buying showing on her face, "We'll just go up there and battle whoever comes in our way. It's not like we're going to look for them."

"Dame-Tsuki..."

She let out an exasperated sigh, "I _promise _we won't be looking for trouble. We'll only fight if we have to. Besides, this'll be a good training session for us, right boys?"

The look on her two Guardians face was that of complete resignation, making the girl pout.

"Ano..." Giannini spoke up, "among them, there is one ring of tremendous power. It's probably a Captain-class... the Ring's purity exceeds A..."

"It's probably Gamma."

Reborn turned to the blue-haired woman, "Gamma...?"

"The 3rd Aphelandra Squad you guys fought before? That's their captain... Electric Gamma."

Tsuki hummed.

Hayato smirked, "Heh. Who cares if he's a Gamma or a Sanma. No need to worry, Juudaime. We've been self-training since yesterday, and we've learned quite a few things on our own."

"That's right!" Takeshi agreed. "Oh yeah. Hayato, after our training, what were you making on your own?"

"Were the tools you borrowed yesterday useful? Gokudera-sama?"

"Hai! Spot on! Juudaime, please take a look! My box customized! Perfect, isn't it!?"

Tsuki and Takeshi stared at the box the silver-haired teen was holding up with a proud look on his face.

"Do you like it?"

"Iie."

The blunt answer and the look on her face shocked him. "This was necessary to strengthen the box!" he insisted, his arms waving about, "Everyone's doing it!"

"Tsuki-san!"

The panic in Haru's tone made Tsuki's eyes narrowed, "What's wrong?"

"It's big trouble! Kyoko-chan's missing!"

"Have you looked everywhere?" Takeshi asked calmly.

"Maybe she just went to the toilet," Hayato pointed out.

"She left a note!" Haru showed them the paper, "It says, 'I need to go home, just once. I'll bring some snacks back for Lambo-kun and I-pin-chan.'"

"Fucking reckless."

All heads turned to her.

"With how mature she sometimes act, I forget that she's related to Onii-san. How did she even manage to leave this place? The six hatches are all secured by voice and fingerprint recognition locks. I made sure that the only ones who can come and go are those who can defend themselves."

"Let me check the access records..."

Tsuki sighed when she saw the color on his face drain.

"Ah... I was fixing the inside lock of the 4th hatch... looks like its's been opened..."

"That thing better be fixed by the time we get back, or else..."

Giannini flinched, scrambling to stand so he can give a proper bow. "H-Hai! Gomenesai, Bosu!"

"Hn."

_She really does resemble the Varia Boss..._ Lal mused.

"What should be done, Tsuki?"

His student glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Hayato, Takeshi, you two go find your fellow Guardian..." she turned to the older woman staring impassively at her, "you gonna be a bench warmer on this one too?"

Lal glared, making her smirk.

"Didn't think so. Lal and I will go after the wayward Sasagawa."

Hayato clicked his tongue, "This is the second time I'll be stuck with you since coming here."

"Haha." Takeshi draped an arm around the grumbling teen's shoulder, "Please take care of me~"

"Yamamoto."

"Hm?"

"You didn't bring a weapon with you, right?"

"Aa. All I have now is the two boxes my future-self left behind, although I haven't managed to open one of them yet, I also have a practice sword."

"I found this."

Takeshi caught the sword the hitman tossed him, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Shigure Kintoki!"

"It seems like it didn't work well with the Rain Rings your future-self used. He had Shigure Kintoki stored here while he used a normal sword. But you have the Vongola Ring, even if the affinity between Shigure Kintoki and the Vongola Ring is unknown. You decide how best to use it."

He grinned, "It'll work out. After all, I'm the successor of Oyaji's Shigure Soen Ryu and the Rain Guardian of the Tenth Generation Vongola Guardians."

Tsuki smirked.

"Gokudera and Yamamoto will take Hatch B and head to the shrine. Tsukiyomi and I will head for Sasagawa's house from Hatch D," Lal announced. "We don't have replacements yet for the communication devices held by your future-selves so we won't be able to contact each other..." she gave the still smirking Sky a sideward glance, "I'd say the only rule we have from here on is to avoid a battle, but... that'll be pointless, so if the situation forces you into a battle... take actions according to your own judgement!"

* * *

Tsuki stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes, "Someone's coming. Lal."

The older reacted accordingly, draping her cloak around the two of them just as the sound of electricity passed over them.

"It's Gamma."

Her brows furrowed, "He's heading towards the shrine."

Lal looked at her from the corner of her eyes, "What do you want to do?"

"Nothing. Kyoya's there, he'll step in if he has to."

"You're that positive you're Cloud Guardian is there?"

"Aa."

"Coming here reminds me of the Summer Festival," Takeshi mused out loud, "that was the first time you fought side-by-side with us, right? Hayato."

He clicked his tongue, "Now is not the time to feel nostalgic, Yakyu-baka!"

"Haha. Gomen, gomen."

"Let's go."

The tall teen followed the Storm Guardian, the smile on his face still intact.

"Ne," he started when they hid behind a tree for cover, "what if we can't avoid a battle. What should we do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the other grumbled, "We fight."

Takeshi hummed thoughtfully, "Tsuki did say she wants us to use this opportunity to train."

"And we'll do just that. But, we have to make sure we don't cause _that _much uproar, it'll trouble Juudaime." Hayato's eyebrows twitched when the teen laughed, "What's so funny!?"

"Hahaha. Nothing, it's just that..." he wiped a tear from his eye, "Tsuki will probably vent her annoyance out on the Black Spell, she was a bit peeved that Kyoko acted recklessly."

"I... can't even refute that..."

Brown eyes glanced up, "Hayato..."

"Aa. There's two of them, we'll take one each."

"Ryoukai."

The Vongola Guardians looked up and stared at the two Black Spell agents, not moving an inch even when they raised their weapon and sent a Storm wave towards them.

"They disappeared!?" one of the Black Spell exclaimed when the smoke cleared, his eyes wide in disbelief, he was startled when something flew pass him. "A swallow!?"

"I don't know how to use the swallow at the moment, but... what the heck."

Before he could react, Takeshi appeared in front of him and sent him crashing into the ground with one swift swing of his katana.

The partner backed away from the teen but stopped when he heard the sound of cocking behind him.

"That's right. I'm here."

Takeshi leaned casually against a tree and watched the last enemy hit the ground. "Only a while ago, we were still training for the Ring Battle."

"Hn. The way we trained when we fought Varia was stupid. Since we have rings just like them, I won't lose!"

The black-haired teen narrowed his eyes.

"I heard that Vongola's Guardians wet themselves and scattered away in all directions. Once again, you cute little fellas have come out to play."

Both Guardians glared at the man hovering in the air, lighting crackling around his feet.

"The Rain and Storm Guardian, huh. You look younger than your photographs... much, much younger... do the Vongola drink some kind of youth-restoration elixir?" he asked, landing on the ground. "In any case, rather than saying I'm here to fight you... it's really more like a reprimand."

"He must be Gamma..."

Hayato scoffed, "No shit."

"Hmm," Takeshi lit his Flame, spreading it around the blade of his katana, "shall we start?"

He smirked and pointed his Flame Arrow on the man watching them with amusement, "Aa."

"I heard that your Guardians were the ones prone to causing mayhem wherever they go..." Lal stared at the bloodied form of the Black Spell agents sprawled on the street, "it seems like they're not the only ones."

Tsuki turned to her, an eyebrow raised, "Compared to what they tend to leave behind after a fight?" she motioned at the bodies, "This is nothing. At least I left them breathing, a foot on death's door, but breathing. That's more than what I could say for Kyoya and Mukuro."

"Where are you going? That direction is not the way to Sasagawa's house."

The younger didn't bother to stop when she answered, "She won't be there, her place is probably swarming with Black Spell, she'd be caught by now if she managed to get to her house."

Lal stared at her, "Where do you think she is?"

She grinned and pointed at a nameplate that read "Kurokawa".

The older woman continued to stare at the younger even when she looked up and waved at the black-haired woman staring at them from the window, the fact that Sasagawa's sister was also there didn't even register. _This girl..._

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Tsuki quipped before opening the gate and heading inside.

"Tsuki-cha—"

Kyoko froze when sunset-amber eyes landed on her, making her entire body tremble.

"What were you thinking?"

She took a step back, "I—I..."

"You weren't. I know you're worried about Onii-san, but really, Kyoko? _This _was the best you could come up with? Putting your life in danger? Didn't Reborn tell you that he's not here? Or were you not listening at all?"

"Oi, Tsuki—" Hana attempted to cut in, but when the girl turned her gaze at her, whatever she was going to say, stayed stuck in her throat.

"Thanks for keeping her safe, sorry to trouble you further, but can you hide Kyoko here for a little while more?"

Hana nodded slowly, "That's fine, but..."

Tsuki was about to thank her when a photo caught her eyes, she stared at it for a minute before turning to Hana, an eyebrow raised, "Really?"

She sighed and shook her head, "Don't ask... even _I _still don't know why."

"We must hurry, Tsukiyomi!"

Tsuki nodded, her eyes still not leaving Hana's. "Aa..."

"I'm not the only one with peculiar taste," the woman defended, arms crossed to her chest.

"Uh-huh... this goes beyond peculiar."

"I know..."

Kyoko looked between the two of them, confusion evident in her eyes.

"Tsukiyomi!"

Tsuki turned and faced the irate woman, "There's no need to hurry. Kyoya's there."

Lal's eyes widened, "That doesn't mean anything! Even if Hibari Kyoya is—"

"Just how much do you know about my Guardians?" she cut off as she opened the door and stepped out, "Kyoya is my strongest Guardian for a reason," she added over her shoulder.

Lal followed after her, only to stop in her tracks when she saw the direction she's heading. "That's not—"

"We're making a detour. I told you, there's no need to hurry over there, by the time we get there, the battle will be over.

"Then where are we going!?"

* * *

"You two are really late."

"We went shopping."

Kyoya stopped in his tracks, still poised to deal the final struck on Gamma, he slowly turned his head and stared at the younger version of his Sky. "Nani?"

She held up the shopping bags she was holding, "There's no way in hell I'm wearing the same clothes during my whole stay here."

He turned his gaze on the defeated woman beside her, who was also carrying the same thing. "Herbivore..."

"That kid... she's... impossible..."

He turned his attention back on the enemy and struck, knocking him out in an instant.

Tsuki watched the man fall and land on the ground with a sickening crunch. "You haven't changed at all, Kyoya. Still no mercy."

"I have no need for a Lightning Ring," he muttered, staring at the fallen body. He heard her footsteps heading towards him and looked at her over his shoulder, "What have you been up to, Sawada Tsukiyomi?"

"We're on full-name basis now?" she quipped, stopping in front of him, giving him a once over before locking her gaze with his. "The years' been good to you."

He smirked, "Next time, say that when the Monkey King is here."

A serious look came over her face, "Where are they?"

"In the forest over there."

Kyoya let out a breath and followed her, when he reached her side, he didn't say anything.

"You could have stepped in before this happened."

"Aa."

"You didn't."

"This needed to happen."

"Just like how we need to be here."

He didn't say anything after that.

"Don't worry. Their lives are not in danger," the familiar voice of the Skylark's second-in-command assured.

"Tetsu."

"Ane-san," he greeted, eyes softening at the sight of her. "We still need to get them treated quickly... let's take them to the hideout."

Kyoya felt the woman's gaze on him, he gave her a glance before turning away.

Lal continued to stare at him._ Unbelievable... even without the Vongola Ring, he defeated Gamma..._

"We have casualties. Right now, it's too dangerous for us to move them over such—"

"They have their own entrance," the young Sky cut off, startling Lal with how dead her voice sounded.

Kyoya looked at her from the corner of his eyes before pulling a Ring out of his jacket. He knelt down, slid the Vongola Ring off Takeshi's finger, and carried him over his shoulder. "Come."

Tsuki didn't even blink when he suddenly disappeared after walking straight through the shrine, following him without a word.

"There is, however, one problem with us taking our leave from here. The Rain and Storm Vongola Rings. They would have shown up on the enemy's radar by now. We can't let the signal disappear from here," Kusakabe said, showing Lal the two rings on his hand.

"I understand. Leave this matter to me. Here, you take this."

The man nodded and took the shopping bags from her without a word.

Lal stared at the bags for a second before shaking her head and running off.

* * *

After taking a quick shower, Tsuki dressed herself with her new clothes and left the room, heading straight for her Guardian's room.

"Ciaossu."

"How is he?"

"He's not awake yet..."

Tsuki stared impassively at her Storm, eyes raking over the bandages wrapped around his body. "This had to happen, right? We needed to fall if we want to win, right?"

Reborn jumped off the chair he was sitting on and landed in front of his student, "You didn't plan for _this _to happen, Tsuki. You knew the risk of something like this happening, but you didn't plan it. With an enemy like Millefiore, the only path left for us to survive is to grow up."

"I know that..." she clenched her fist and bit her lower lip, "I know that, but... this is... too much..."

"Iie."

Tsuki didn't turn to face him.

"This is not nearly enough, Tsukiyomi."

The young Sky remained motionless.

"You know us, better than anyone else. Losing and nearly dying, seeing just how dangerous this world is and how strong the enemies are... it's the only way to learn. If you didn't believe that this was necessary, that Yamamoto Takeshi and Gokudera Hayato losing will help them realize what they lack, you wouldn't have gone shopping to distract yourself from coming to their rescue. You would have gone straight to where they were without even confirming that Sasagawa Kyoko is with Kurokawa Hana."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Aa..."

"Juudaime... gomen..."

She breathed out a sigh of relief and walked closer to his bed. "Hi..."

"Gomenasai, Juudaime... I wasn't... we weren't strong enough... even with the two of us working together... it wasn't enough..."

She sat on the edge of his bed and ran her hand through his hair with care. "Funny... Takeshi said the same thing."

His eyes widened, relief shining in his green eyes, "Then, he's..."

"He's alive and doing quite well," Reborn said, hopping back on his chair.

"Che. So, he's still alive."

Tsuki smiled softly at the tsundere-like behavior.

"What did we expect though? After all, Kyoko, Gokudera, and Yamamoto are all just babies barely weaned from their mother's milk."

She gave him a deadpanned look.

"Hn."

The familiar sound made Hayato's head turn.

"Gah! What are _you _doing here!?"

Kyoya merely smirked, "Seems like you're doing well. I can't say the same for the herbivore next door insisting that he's fully recovered."

His Sky rolled her eyes, "He's still saying that?"

"You bastard! You were there!?" the Storm demanded.

"Would you have wanted me to step in while you were still moving?" the older man asked coolly, standing next to the Sky watching them with fond exasperation.

He clicked his tongue and looked away. "Iie."

"Hn. Thought so."

Hayato winced when the bastard pulled at his hair lightly. "Back off!"

"Is that the proper way to treat your savior?" Kyoya tugged at his bangs, ignoring the nails digging into his hand.

"Urusai!"

"Erm..." Giannini popped his head in the room, "may I interrupt a moment?"

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"It's good news! Bianchi-san and Fuuta-sama have returned from their information gathering."

Just as he finished saying his news, the pink-haired woman and ranking prince entered the room.

"Reborn!"

Tsuki watched Bianchi gather the hitman in her arms with tears in her eyes.

"I'm not letting go of you ever again! My beloved!"

_She hasn't changed at all... _Tsuki thought.

"Tsuki-nee!"

She suddenly found herself pressed against a chest with arms wrapped tightly around her.

"You're here! You're really here!"

"F-Fuuta... I can't..."

Kyoya sighed and pulled the teen off his Sky by his collar. "Quit acting like a herbivore."

Fuuta rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Gomen, Kyo-nii... I'm just so happy. You can't really blame us though..." a sad look came over his face, "in this era... both Reborn and Tsuki-nee are dead."

Tsuki's eyes softened, she motioned for him to lower his head so she could ruffle his hair like she always does when he was a kid. "You've grown way too tall, Fuuta."

"Tsuki-nee..."

"And so cute too," she gushed, making the teen's face burn, "neh, neh, do you have a girlfriend?"

The rest of the room's occupants watched in amusement as the teen deny the question vehemently.

* * *

After the young Sky was done teasing her brother, the meeting she's been waiting for began.

"Who's going first?" she asked, crossing her legs and looking around the room.

Sitting next to her on one sofa was her Cloud Guardian, across from them was Fuuta and Giannini, Lal, Tetsuya, and Bianchi, with Reborn cradled on her arm, was sitting on a chair.

"Please, let me," Tetsuya volunteered, continuing when the younger gave a nod. "Let me start with Hibird. We set it to flight due to a request from Kurokawa Hana."

Tsuki blinked, "Hana?"

"That's right. A request from her to rescue Sasagawa Kyoko. When we received an SOS from a channel pre-arranged with Vongola, we would release Hibird to fly to the scene."

"So... Hibird's a backup system..." she mused, stroking the canary's head with a finger.

"Tsuki. Tsuki."

"That's right. When normal communication methods have been cut off, we would use this. It's one of over ten backup methods of sending an SOS."

"But why did the backup signal disappear at the shrine?" Giannini inquired.

Tetsuya rubbed the back of his head almost sheepishly, "That a little embarrassing. It ran out of batteries..."

Giannini sighed in relief, "So it was a malfunction..."

"With that explained... Tetsu."

The man straightened, "Hai?"

"How exactly are you involve in the Mafia? Since you're still with Kyoya, that must mean that you're in deep. Just how deep are we talking about?"

"Tetsu is still my second-in-command," the smooth voice of the Cloud Guardian answered. "We have our own organization that works separately from Vongola."

Tsuki raised an eyebrow, "Like CEDEF?"

Tetsuya shook his head, "Iie. The Foundation travels around the world studying and researching Box Weapon technology."

"Foundation?" she repeated, eyes trained on her Cloud, "You couldn't think of a different name?"

"I don't see how that's important."

"Of course you don't."

"Hn."

"Then, it's our turn," Bianchi cut in, knowing full well how easy it is for the Sky to get lost in teasing and annoying her Guardians, especially _this _Guardian.

"We've been gathering information on the Millefiore stationed in Japan," Fuuta started, "the Millefiore have a total of 17 squads, but among them, there are only six captains of rank A and above. Furthermore, out of the six, two are currently in Japan."

"That must be Gamma and Irie Shoichi," Lal commented.

"That's right," Biachi agreed, "and it seems like, something very crucial here has gotten their attention."

Sunset-amber eyes narrowed, "Something crucial?"

Fuuta shook his head, "That's still a mystery."

"There's more, a piece of good news," Bianchi said, "we've located the entrance to the enemy's hideout."

Lal and Tetsuya's eyes widened, Tsuki and Kyoya simply raised an eyebrow.

"It was right under our noses and we missed it," Fuuta continued, "like us, they're underneath Namimori. It's the Namimori Station underground shopping mall."

"When did that happen?" Tsuki asked.

"The construction began ten years ago, and was completed three years ago," Bianchi explained.

"Ah... I think I remember Haru saying something about that..."

"This information is of great significance," Lal stated, a serious look on her face, "with this, we can carry out an attack."

"Denied."

Her head snapped to the Sky. "Nani!?"

"We're not ready," she said, uncrossing her legs and letting her elbows rest on her knees so she can cradle her chin, "Takeshi and Hayato are still injured. And with our current strength, we have no chance of succeeding."

"Indeed," her tutor agreed, "the enemy must also be trying their best to find this hideout and finish us off. When Gamma recovers, there's no doubt that the whole Millefiore will find out that Vongola Decima has arrived from the past. They won't stop until they find you."

"Hmm... and the key to winning this lies on how strong we can get within a short period of time..."

"Not again, Lambo-kun!"

All heads turned to the door.

Kyoko stared wide eyed at the newcomers, "Ahh..."

"Bianchi-san..." Haru said, equally shocked.

"I found Fuuta!" Lambo cheered.

"Fuuta!"

The two smiled widely at seeing them.

"You guys..."

"Kyoko-nee! Haru-nee! Lambo and I-pin too."

Tsuki eyes softened at the sight, sharing a look with her tutor.

* * *

Tsuki laid on the futon with her eyes closed, not opening them even when she heard the door sliding open and closing.

"Small Animal..."

"Let's talk, Kyoya."

The Skylark padded across the room until he was standing at the foot of the futon.

"Where should we start? Why don't we start with how all this started? Why my future-self thought it was a good idea to send a bunch of kids here to fight in a war they're clearly not ready for? Or we could talk about _why _Kyoko, Haru, and I-pin are here."

Her Cloud remained quiet even as he knelt beside her.

"You know what? Maybe we should start with Irie Shoichi and how he's connected to all this, or better yet, we can start with you telling me where Mukuro is."

"Tsuki..."

She opened her eyes and met his gray ones, grabbing him by the back of his neck, she pulled him to her until their foreheads were touching.

"Just tell me what's going on... you don't have to keep carrying everything by yourself. I'm here now..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"I'm here, Kyoya."

His arms around her tightened, she closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar comfort of her Cloud, ignoring the wetness she could feel against neck.

"I'm here."


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Awakening!

"The breakfast today was good as usual."

A pleased expression washed over Haru's face, "I'm glad to hear that~"

"Today, Haru and I-pin are in charge of washing up," Bianchi declared. "We'll leave everything to you."

"Hai! I-pin, do her best!" the little girl promised.

"Then, I'll got to the infirmary and pick up Takeshi-kun and Hayato-kun's trays," Kyoko volunteered.

"Arigato!"

"Fuuta~ let's play!"

"Hai, but your hair is getting very messy. Shall I cut it for you?"

"Do that," his older sister cut in, "even if he doesn't want to. If you can cut off his afro entirely, even better."

"Gupya!"

Fuuta laughed softly. "Maa, maa..."

Tsuki stood and stretched her arms above her. "I'm going back to training."

"Have a good day, Tsuki-san~" Haru, with her fingers intertwined, stared at her with sparkles in her eyes. "Should I prepare a beloved wife's bento for you?"

The young Sky stared at her, deadpanned, "I thought you were over that."

"Iie, Iie, Haru will never get over her love for Tsuki-san!" the black-haired girl declared, "With the other guy gone, this is Haru's chance to change Tsuki-san's heart!"

She nodded slowly and backed out of the room, "Uh-huh... you do that..."

When Tsuki arrived at the training room, she was surprised to see her bedridden Guardians waiting for her.

"Yo!"

"Ohayo, Juudaime!"

"You two..."

"Starting today, we're going back to training again," Takeshi explained before pointing at the lollipop she was holding. "What's with that?"

Tsuki's eyes narrowed, "Have your injuries healed already?" she asked instead of answering.

"Totally!" her Storm assured, "It's been 13 days! I'm starting to worry about getting out of touch!"

"I'm glad. As for this," she held up the treat in her hand, "I'm going through withdrawals."

"Withdrawals? From what?" Hayato asked, brows furrowed.

Her reply was an innocent smile, which made Takeshi's eyes narrow.

"All three are present, then."

They turned to the voice's direction and saw Lal and Reborn.

"As I've mentioned, you'll be starting a new training course today," Lal started, "it's called the 'Individual Assault Training Program'."

"Just like Tsuki's been receiving a one-on-one training with Lal Mirch these past thirteen days, you'll each get your own home tutor, just like during the Ring Conflict," Reborn explained.

Takeshi blinked, "Eh?" he turned to his Sky, "I thought you were training with Kyoya?"

She stared at him, "Are you kidding me? If I trained with Kyoya with how I was thirteen days ago, I wouldn't have lived long enough to return home."

His fist came down to his palm, "Oh, I see."

"The one I'm training is..." Reborn said, getting back on the topic, "Yamamoto."

Said teen pointed at himself, confused.

"_You're _training him?" Tsuki asked in disbelief before shaking her head, "The world is doomed."

"I will be in charge of Hayato," a familiar voice joined in.

"A-Aniki!"

"Since we're siblings, it's unsurprising that we share the same attribute. Secondly, if you manage to complete your training successfully, I'll give you a reward. Something from Tou-san."

Hayato's eyes widened. _Tou-san!?_

Tsuki bit down on the lollipop, shattering the treat into tiny pieces, she let it melt on her tongue before closing her eyes and entering her HDWM.

"Let's start... Kyoya."

Hayato and Takeshi stared at her in awe, feeling chills running up their spine with the intensity of her Flames.

"That's incredible, Juudaime! The intensity has increased even more!" Hayato praised, a wide grin on his face.

"You're like a totally different person," a smirk tugged on Takeshi's lips, "you've gotten even more ahead of us. I won't lose."

Tsuki fired her Flames in front of her, barely managing to avoid the swirling Cloud Flame. She flew up and braced herself against the wall, arms in front of her to block her Guardian's Flame.

"I wanted to continue training her myself," there was a hint of bitterness in the woman's tone, "but she improved way too fast, even more that what I initially expected."

"After Hibari arrived, something changed. When I asked her what they talked about, she said it's still too early to tell. But whatever it was," Reborn stared at his student, "it seemed to have triggered something in her."

"You better be prepared, Small Animal," Hibari said, stepping into the room, eyes focused on the two Flames clashing, "I'm going to pry open all of your abilities."

Tsuki gritted her teeth, putting more effort in trying to stop her Cloud's Box Weapon, barely noticing Fuuta and Lambo's appearance.

"This level of power," Kyoya stared up impassively, "is still a far cry from your future-self."

Her brows furrowed in concentration, eyes glowing brighter as the Flames slowly turned to ice.

Takeshi grinned, "It's that move!"

"Way to go, Juudaime!"

"Iie," Lal disagreed, "it's not over yet!"

Tsuki's eyes narrowed when the Cloud Flames started surrounding her.

"They're... multiplying..." Hayato muttered, eyes wide in disbelief.

Takeshi's fists clenched, "It's too fast! She can't catch up!"

They could only watch in shock as the Cloud Flames surrounded her completely, trapping her inside.

The Cloud Ring on Kyoya's finger shattered just as the sphere-like object fell to ground.

"T-Tsuki!"

"Juudaime!"

"What is that...?"

"Needle Sphere Form," the Cloud Guardian answered, having heard Fuuta's question. "It's an airtight sphere molded with the Cloud Flames, making it completely impervious. It's impossible for her to break through the sphere with either her physical strength or her Flames."

Tsuki breathed heavily inside the sphere. _Kyoya... you bastard..._

"It's airtight, the oxygen within the sphere is limited."

She could hear his voice right next to the sphere.

"If you don't get out quickly, you'll—"

A loud bang came from inside, cutting off the Cloud Guardian.

"Die. No shit, Sherlock!"

Kyoya smirked.

"Oi Kyoya!"

The older looked at the seething teen from the corner of his eyes.

"Are you insane!?"

"Iie."

Hayato gritted his teeth, "You—"

"Maa, Hayato..." Takeshi cut off, staring at the older Guardian's back, "Kyoya's serious. He's not going to let her out, even if it meant she'd die inside."

"Then—"

"All we can do... is believe in her... right? Kyoya."

"Hn."

Hayato clicked his tongue.

"Every generation," Reborn started, gaining the two teens' attention, "the boss must overcome the Vongola Trial. The Trial cannot be compromised, so a genuine threat is necessary."

Both teens stared at him, confused. _Vongola Trial?_

"We should begin our training too. Yamamoto, I'm going to change first. Meet me in Basement 10."

"Aa."

"We should start too, Hayato."

* * *

Takeshi stepped off the lift and looked around.

"This should be Basement 10..." he said out loud, "it's completely dark. Where's the switch?"

He stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowed as he readied his stance to attack the threat he sensed.

"You were able to sense that? It looks like you're right next to Tsuki when it comes to sensing bloodlust, Yamamoto Takeshi."

The teen didn't say anything, his stance still poised to attack.

"But, despite your complete mastery of Shigure Kintoki, you have yet to reach your full potential. If you can use the Ring to draw out Shigure Kintoki's full power, you'll be stronger than even the Sword Emperor of this era. Well, that's what your future-self said."

"Kid..." he muttered when the hitman revealed himself.

"When you're able to combine Shigure Kintoki with the power of the Vongola Ring, you'll be a unique presence among the Vongola. In order to achieve that, I thought it would be fine to show you my true self."

He stared blankly at his sister. "Sistema C.A.I.?"

"That's right. Your goal is to complete this Sistema C.A.I. designed by the future Hayato."

"What is it?"

Bianchi shook her head, "Find out for yourself. If you don't like it, just run away like you ran away from the mansion back then."

"Nani!?"

"The only thing is..." the pink-haired woman lit her Flame and opened a box, "you'll have to get through me first."

Hayato's brows furrowed.

* * *

Kyoya closed his eyes and let out a yawn.

_The oxygen is fast running out... _Tetsuya thought, staring at the sphere with barely concealed worry.

Tsuki fell to her knees, panting heavily.

_Shit... I can't take any more of this... the next strike... if it doesn't work... it's over for me..._

"No fucking way!"

She rose to her feet, hands glowing brightly with her Flames.

From outside the sphere, Fuuta's arms tightened around the sleeping cow-child in his arms. "Tsuki-nee, don't give up."

* * *

The scarred man ignored the commotion around him, red eyes focused intently on the small orange gem on the black band on his left hand.

_It's almost time..._

"Vooooii! Where are you going, Xanxus?"

He ignored him, and the indignant shout that followed.

* * *

_No good..._

Tsuki panted.

_Even with the Vongola Ring... it's still not enough... only a small part of the armored wall has melted. A Flame of higher purity... how am I supposed to create a huge high-purity Flame._

She gritted her teeth before letting out a deep breath, she leaned back on the wall and slid down, legs bent with both her arms resting on her knees.

_Losing my temper and wasting my energy won't do me any good, but... kuso... I can't think straight with the lack of oxygen..._

She lifted her hand and stared at her Vongola Ring.

_What more do you want from me? What more should I do? How can I draw out your full power? That's the only way, right? To draw out the purest form of Sky Flame, I need to draw out your full power..._

She could feel her remaining strength slipping away, her HDWM dying out.

"Shit..."

Her eyes widened when the Ring began to glow, casting a beam onto her forehead.

"**_Kill him."_**

"**_Please give me a chance! If I die... my child and my wife...!"_**

A blank look settled on the young Sky's face when she heard the gunshot and the screams that followed.

"**_Revenge."_**

"**_Ambush."_**

"**_Eradicate."_**

The blank look never left her face even as the images became more and more violent; a burning mansion, a car exploding, bullets raining down.

She could feel presence surrounding her, but she kept her head down, her expression hidden.

"_The Vongola's... past sins."_

"_Murder. Revenge. Betrayal. An insatiable thirst for power... this is the bloodstained history of the Vongola Mafia."_

"_You, holder of the Sky Vongola Ring. Do you have the resolution... the resolution to inherit these past sins."_

"**_Please, help us!"_**

"**_Gyaaaahhhh!"_**

"**_So brutal..."_**

"**_Give me back my son!"_**

"**_My eye! My eyeeeeeee!"_**

"It's too quiet..." Lal said, eyes narrowing when she caught the Cloud Guardian smirk.

"The oxygen is nearly out. Both her mental and physical states are reaching critical levels..." his second-in-command said.

"This will not achieve anything!" Lal exclaimed, "She's just going to die in vain! Cease this training at once!"

"Whether or not she can become the Vongola Sky that you hope for..." Kyoya said, not even looking at her, "she has to be tested under extreme situations. There hasn't been one so young to face the trial in Vongola history, though."

"She can't do this right now!"

The sound of footsteps echoed around the training room.

"Reborn!"

Lal didn't say anything else when she saw the look on the hitman's face. _What do you hope to achieve by doing something like this? Do you people intend to alter Tsukiyomi's personality?_

"_This is the destiny of the successor to the Vongola. This is the purpose of the life you were given."_

"_That is the price we must pay for the power we wish for. If it's great power you want, you must also have the resolution to inherit our great history."_

"Urusai."

A heavy silence descended.

"I don't recall..." she looked up, eyes blazing as she stared back at the past Vongola bosses, "ever asking for Vongola's power. "

"'Purpose of the life I was given'? Don't fuck with me. I wasn't born to inherit Vongola's shit, nor was I born to inherit the mistakes _you _people made."

Her eyes burned brighter as she gave each boss a look.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not going to be anyone's puppet. If the only way to inherit Vongola is to inherit the 'great history' you spoke of... then I guess I'll go to plan B... I'm going to burn Vongola to ash. And I'll make sure all its history will burn along with it."

She breathed heavily, feeling her consciousness threatening to slip away. Her body slowly started to fall.

_Gomen... I failed... minna..._

Instead of hitting the floor like she expected, she landed on something more familiar. Even without looking, she knew whose arms were wrapped around her.

"You're..."

She felt his lips brush against her crown, his arms tightening around her before he slowly slipped away, when she looked up, all she saw was her very first tutor sitting on a throne across from her with the past bosses standing in two lines facing each other, the Vongola crest between them.

_Giotto..._

"Your resolution has been unequivocally accepted. _E'la nostra ora incisa sull'anello_."

"Engrave...?" Tsuki muttered, sunset-amber eyes not breaking away from his orange ones.

"To flourish or to perish. It's up to you now. _Vongola Decima_. I have been waiting for you. Now, it's time for you to inherit... the proof of the Vongola."

Outside, cracks began appearing on the sphere.

"What happened!?" Lal demanded, eyes wide, "What going on!?"

Reborn and Kyoya remained staring impassively at the sphere.

"Kyo-san, what is this?" Tetsuya asked.

"The Needle Sphere Form... is breaking," the Cloud Guardian answered.

The sphere burst. The room held its breath as they waited for the smoke to clear.

Tsuki raised a hand, showing everyone the new gloves.

Kyoya's eyes narrowed. "Hn."

"She passed," Reborn announced.

_This is it... this is what I had been waiting for. The Sawada of this era wore the Ring on her finger, but she stored it on the back of her hand to draw out its power... _Lal thought. "I had no idea it was gained after the trial."

"I was only half-confident myself," Reborn admitted, "though in all honesty. I couldn't think of any way to let Tsuki power-up rapidly, other than the traditional trial. Her progress these past thirteen days were impressive, but I feared it wasn't enough."

Tsuki's brows furrowed, she clenched her fist, eyes narrowing when an unfamiliar Flame burst from her hand, instead of the usual yellow-orange glow of Sky Flame, this Flame has a reddish glow and seemed to dance wilder around her hand.

Kyoya smirked, gray eyes glinting with anticipation. "Wao."

Lal and Fuuta stared at the Sky, awe written on their face.

"Look, Lambo. Look at Tsuki-nee's beautiful Flame!" A smile spread across the teen's face, "A high-purity Flame with very little contamination will have that crystal-clear color. If it's the Sky, it's orange. The Sun is yellow. The Rain is blue. The Lightning is green. The Storm is red. The Cloud is violet. And Mist is indigo." His eyes softened, "Furthermore, it's said that the higher the purity of a Flame, the more power it can draw out from the characteristics of its attribute."

_This Flame... it feels as though its brimming over from deep in my heart... _Tsuki thought.

"You're finally starting to resemble the you I know," Kyoya said, he pulled out a box and opened it. "From here on, I can do whatever I want, right? Akambo."

Reborn's fedora hid his eyes when he answered, "Aa... that is what I promised."

"Then..." his tonfas appeared on his hands, "let's begin."

Tsuki barely reacted when Cloud Flames covered his tonfas, revealing his bloodlust along with it. Fuuta winced slightly.

Lal gritted her teeth. _The Flames.. iie, his bloodlust! He's kept it under control until now! So, this is Hibari Kyoya._

"Same as before, there are no rules in this fight. The only choice you have is to defeat me... or to die."

Tsuki smirked. "And same as before. I'll defeat you."

He smirked back. "Come and get it."

She readied her stance and called for her Flames, shooting towards him in an instant.

"She disappeared!?" Fuuta exclaimed.

Kyoya stared blankly at the blur heading towards him before jumping off, using his Sky's head to propel himself to a flip.

She clicked her tongue, flipping herself to avoid crashing head-first on the wall. Gritting her teeth, she summoned her Flames and propelled herself towards her impassive Guardian.

"What is that Flame!?" Lal exclaimed, staring at the damage the Sky left when she made contact with the wall.

Tsuki's eyes widened when Kyoya appeared in front of her and struck her on the stomach before she could move a muscle, appearing behind her while she was still afloat.

"You're still moving."

_Shit... at this rate, I'm going to die. _With her arms in front of her, she called for her Flames. "Wha—!?"

"Eh!?" Fuuta stared wide eyed at the smoke surrounding his older sister after she crashed into the ground.

_It... self-destructed__? _Lal thought in disbelief.

Tsuki pulled herself up, wiping the blood off her chin before staring at her hand.

"What are you trying to pull?" Kyoya asked, unimpressed.

Lal's brows furrowed. _Why? It's said that the purity of the Sky Flame increases the most among the seven attributes, so its propulsion force rises just as rapidly. What are you doing, Tsukiyomi..._

"It seems that the Version Vongola Ring has a special peak-type characteristic," Reborn observed.

"Peak-type?"

"Aa. From the look on Tsuki's face, I don't think the Flame that came out was what she expected."

"True... she was moving awkwardly... but couldn't that be because she was overwhelmed by the Flame's power?"

Tsuki ignored the two's conversation, her attention focused intently on her gloves. _Gio... what the hell is up with these gloves? They're consuming my stamina more intensely that I thought... and with Kyoya as an opponent..._

She let out a deep breath and stood, her Flames dissipating along the way.

"What are you doing?"

The annoyance in his tone made her lips twitch. "This new Flame is a pain in the ass, it's like I'm back to square one."

"Hn?"

Tsuki flexed her gloved-hand. "Right... you guys weren't there when I first started training with my Flames..."

Lal blinked at that, "What?"

"We'll stop for now, there's no point continuing when I'm like this."

An eyebrow twitched, "Small Animal..."

The young Sky rolled her eyes and crossed her arms to her chest, "I have no intentions of dying. Let's continue tomorrow, by then, I'd have this new Flame under control."

"Oi Tsukiyomi! You can't just say something like that! Mastering control over Flames doesn't happen overnight!"

She raised an eyebrow, "Lal, did you hit your head or something? Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"

Kyoya's lips quirked at the stupefied look on the CEDEF agent's face. He gave his Sky a nod when she turned her attention back to him, "You better give me a good fight tomorrow, Small Animal."

"Hai, hai."

* * *

Tsuki ducked down before Takeshi could shout his warning.

"Warui!" he called out as he ran past her, "I can't control it yet!"

She gave him and the sparrow a blank look.

"Why's he running in the corridor... is he a kid?"

"Just some light running," Reborn explained, "while the box swallow is flying, he has to carry 5kg weights and run 42km."

She ignored his outfit, refusing to look anywhere but his eyes. "Is that so?"

She caught the piece of paper that she was positive the hitman left on purpose. An eyebrow twitching as she read what was written on said paper.

"What part of this is light?"

The paper disappeared from her hand, she didn't even need to look to know who was standing behind her.

"We can't lose to them. Apart from your training sessions with Hibari, you and I are going to work on strengthening your Ver. V.R."

"Well, shit."

"Don't 'well, shit' me! Show me your Dying Will too! You need to learn a new killer technique with the Ver. V.R.! Or learn proper tactics for using it!

Tsuki could literally see the flames—which she was sure wasn't even the Dying Will Flames—burning around the older woman.

_I think I like it better when she was wary of me._

* * *

Kyoko and Haru blinked. Kyoya continued eating, ignoring the three sleeping members of his family.

"They fell asleep before finishing their meal again," Kyoko said with a hint of fondness in her tone.

"It's been three days since the new training started," Haru mused out loud.

"They're probably really tired..."

Bianchi let out a loud sigh, "If only Hayato's progressing... at least then his exhaustion would be valid."

The Cloud Guardian raised an eyebrow.

"It didn't go well?" Reborn inquired.

"Aa... he's only managed to take down two scorpions in a minute. His biggest factor is his lack of will to do it."

Tsuki sat up straight, startling those who didn't know that she was awake. "It's not because he's weak, if that's what you're thinking," she said before standing and stretching her arms above her, "pairing the two of you... it's an impossible combination for training, but... you're the best person who can draw out his full strength." She ignored the disbelief on the woman's face and made her way to the door, "I'm gonna take a bath."

Bianchi shook her head and stood, "I'll be taking a bath as well."

Kyoya waited for the room to clear before nodding at his second-in-command. Tetsuya gave a small bow and left.

"How long are you herbivores going to play possum?"

The two slowly sat straight, one wearing a sheepish expression, the other a blank one.

"Haha."

"Che."

"What exactly is your problem? Gokudera Hayato."

Hayato's eyes widened at the blunt question, "Wha—"

"It's been three days since your training with Bianchi started and yet, from what she said, you haven't made any progress."

"Oi!"

Takeshi and Reborn watched the two quietly.

"The Small Animal has completely mastered her new Flame and it only took her overnight to do so. The herbivore beside you is progressing rapidly as well. You, on the other hand, can't even take down twenty scorpions," the older Guardian calmly pointed out.

His fists clenched, eyes unable to meet piercing gray ones.

"If you're not going to take your training seriously, just say so. I'm sure Kyoko, Haru, and Fuuta can use the extra hand in taking care of the Smaller Herbivores."

"Tha—"

"Lambo-san appears!"

"Yo, Lambo!" Takeshi greeted, grateful for the kid's impeccable timing, "Just finished your bath?"

"Hai, and y'know... Bianchi and Kyoko and Haru and Tsuki and I-pin were there too! Right now, y'know... in the middle of the bath, right...? There's a bunch of boobies!"

Hayato started spluttering, his face bright red, Kyoya, Reborn, and Takeshi watched him in amusement.

"So... it seems like Gokudera's the only kid left in the family..." Reborn commented offhandedly, taking a sip of his tea to hide the smile threatening to tug his lips at the look on the Storm Guardian's face.

* * *

The next day, Tsuki and her Guardians, along with Reborn, Lal, Giannini, and Tetsuya, gathered around the Conference Room, where the Cloud Guardian and his second-in-command informed the group of a recent development regarding the male Mist Guardian.

"Mukuro's in Vindicare!?"

Takeshi's brows furrowed, "Why are we only finding out about this now?"

"Because I told them not to tell you guys."

The two Guardians turned to her.

"Why, Tsuki?"

"The Small Animal went berserk when she found out, I'm actually surprise none of you heard it," Kyoya answered, "she wanted to drop everything here and fly to Vindicare to bust him out, I'm sure you two would have no problem with that plan, and that is the last thing she needs."

Tsuki sighed, "Precisely..."

Takeshi, Kyoya, and Hayato's eyes narrowed when the air around their Sky changed.

"Chrome."

Just as she finished saying that, a ringing noise resounded around the room.

"What is it, Giannini?" Lal asked.

"It was only a moment, but we picked up an unknown, but very powerful Ring... in the outskirts of Kokuyo Land. But, this area is flooded with—"

"Iie," the Sky cut off, eyes focused on the huge screen on the wall, "it's not a false alarm. Chrome's here..."

Lal, by now, knew better than to disagree. "What should we do?"

She shrugged and turned to her Cloud, "What should we do, Kyoya?"

"You're the boss," he returned.

"Chrome's your wife."

"What!?"

Tsuki gave the two shocked Guardians an exasperated look, "Really? Kyoya's wearing a wedding ring!"

"I... I thought that was..."

"A special Ring..." Takeshi finished for the Storm.

"He's wearing it on his _left _ring finger... and shouldn't you two know _where _he wears his special Ring. We wear it on the exact same place!"

"W-Well..." Hayato's lips pulled into a pout, "I didn't think there'd be someone crazy enough to marry him..."

An eyebrow twitched, "And I suppose you didn't see the wedding ring on Takeshi's..." Tsuki sighed at the look on his face, "Hayato..."

"Why are we having this conversation now!?" Lal demanded in disbelief, "We can talk about who's married to who later! Right now—"

Another loud ringing resounded, cutting her off.

Takeshi looked at the screen, "What is it this time?"

"It's an encoded message," Giannini said.

"The code consists of rows of commas," Reborn observed, "that means..."

"In our slang, the comma represents a head that's been cut off... in other words, it's a code for killing," Giannini explained. "It's an Assassin Squad's Code!"

"Decode it."

"Hai, Bosu!"

"Oi..."

Tsuki turned to the older woman, "Hm?"

"Why are you so calm?"

"I can sense _him _somewhere near her. Chrome'll be fine."

"Giannini, how is it?" Reborn asked, having an idea who his student was talking about.

"Give me another moment to decode it."

"But, you know..." Hayato started, an uneasy look on his face, "if it's an Assassin Squad..."

"It must be _them_, huh," Takeshi mused, glancing at his bored-looking boss from the corner of his eyes.

"Well, there are many such groups in this era," Tetsuya pointed out.

"Aha!" Giannini exclaimed, "I think I've got it. Just as I thought, the code belongs to Vongola. The digital signature matches as well."

"That means it's really them," Hayato said.

"The Vongola Special Assassination Squad..." Tsuki drawled, staring at the screen.

"It's playing now."

"_VOOOOOOOOOI!"_

It doesn't matter where they were in the base, everyone heard the loud voice of the Varia's second-in-command.

"_Are your necks still attached!? Fucking lousy brats!"_

Hayato's eyebrow twitched, "It's him!"

"Squalo!" Takeshi exclaimed, a huge grin on his face.

"Turn it down!" Lal ordered, glaring murderously at the screen showing the Varia Rain in all his glory.

"Hai!" Giannini scrambled to follow. _I've turned it down a lot already though..._

"_Get this! Fucking lousy brats! Stay where you are! Even if you pick up the signal of a new Ring outside!"_

"He's talking about the one at Kokuyo Land," Reborn said.

_The Varia Storm appeared behind Squalo, a huge grin on his face, "If you wait patiently, a very simple instruction will be there soon. Until then, be good and stay put, little kids~"_

"The knife-bastard!"

Lal's eyes narrowed. _Instruction...?_

"_Vooi! What are you doing here!"_

"_The prince is bored~ I came to bug you."_

"_If you interrupt me again. I'm going to kill you."_

"_I dare you."_

"_Vooi..."_

The occupants in the room watched the Varia Rain disappear behind the couch, the sound of beating resonating around the room. Takeshi laughed like he was watching a comedy instead of someone being beaten.

"_I hope we can meet again in this lifetime! Until then, make sure you don't die!"_

And with that, the screen turned black.

Tsuki blinked, "That's it?"

"Those two haven't changed a bit!" Takeshi said.

"Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing..." She suddenly turned to look at the entrance, "Okaeri, Onii-san."

"Sasagawa Ryohei... has arrived!"

"Shibafu-atama!"

"Yo, Senpai."

"Hn. You're back."

Kyoya stood and strode towards him, Ryohei grinned and transferred the girl he was carrying to his arms.

"I'm taking her to the medical care."

"I've heal her already. She just needs rest."

"Hn." His eyes narrowed when he saw the bird she was clutching. "Pineapple-herbivore..."

"Aa..." Tsuki's eyes softened, "it's him..."

"The bird's fine too, just exhausted," Ryohei assured.

"I'm taking her to Bianchi," Kyoya said, already walking out of the room.

"Come back when she's settled," Tsuki called after him. "Now, Onii-san..."

"Onii-san!"

Ryohei turned and smiled, "Oh, Kyoko... you've become so short..."

"I'm so glad you're all right!" Kyoko exclaimed, throwing her arms around his waist.

"A-Aa... don't cry, Kyoko! As you can see, I'm alive and kicking! Ok?"

"Hai..."

"Not that I want to spoil your reunion..." Hayato cut in, "but why does the Varia know about you coming here!?"

"That's because I was with them, of course! I've also returned with a message!"

"It's the instruction Belphegor mentioned, right?" Reborn inquired from his perch on Takeshi's shoulder.

"What is it?" Takeshi asked.

"I'VE FORGOTTEN IT, TO THE EXTREME!"

Tsuki rubbed her temples at the loud proclamation. "Onii-san..."

"But, not to worry! I wrote it down! It'll only make sense to me!"

Hayato scoffed, "Good to know that you learned something these last 10 years."

Tsuki waited for her Guardian to finish reading his memo, amusement flickering in her eyes when he realized that Kyoko and Haru were still in the room.

"There was a Sumo Wrestling Tournament in Italy! That's why I had to go there! It was really great, you know! Kyoko! Haru! Hahahahahaha!"

Hayato's eyebrow twitched, "His ability to cover up things is still messed up!"

"It's almost time for dinner," Kyoya said as he entered the room.

Kyoko and Haru's eyes widened.

"Oh!"

"We completely forgot! Let's go, Haru-chan."

Tsuki waited until they were out of earshot before looking at her Guardians. "Let's move this conversation somewhere else."

* * *

With everyone gathered in the room, Tsuki turned to her older Sun and nodded.

"I was sent to the Varia acting on the Tenth's orders with regards to a certain matter," he started, "in the middle of that, the Vongola Hunt started. The Varia received an information about you guys coming over from the past. That's how I knew about it too."

"It was you, wasn't it?"

The room turned to the Cloud Guardian, who gave a small nod.

The older Sun crossed his arms to his chest, "Aa... that makes sense. Only Kyoya and the base has a direct connection to the Varia. Anyway, apart from them, only some of the top-level survivors from the Vongola and our close allies know about it... there are also those who don't believe it."

"Close allies... that means the Cavallone and Sinclair are..."

He smiled at his Sky and nodded, "Hai, they're well too."

She breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Then," he continued, "working on the assumption that you guys are here, the Family planned for a large-scale attack. The instruction to those of us here, Vongola Decima's Family, is this. In five days' time, we will raid the Millefiore's branch in Japan."


End file.
